


Insomnia Shuffle

by Brightwing



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Depression, Friendship, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 05:19:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 75,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12204672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brightwing/pseuds/Brightwing
Summary: Noctis Lucis Caelum, Crown Prince of Lucis and beloved by her citizens.Ignis Scientia, advisor to the prince and one of the most capable men in the kingdom.Gladiolus Amicitia, the prince's Shield and the most eligible bachelor in Insomnia.Prompto Argentum, best friend to the prince and...kinda famous by association.All four of these men live charmed lives that everyone else would kill to have.So why aren't they happy?





	1. Moving Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay important thing to note this takes place in an an alternate universe where there's no war and all the countries stay in their lanes hooray.

Noctis gave a sigh of relief as he put down a cardboard box onto the hardwood floor of the spare bedroom in his apartment, then lifted an arm to wipe sweat off his brow. It was a completely unremarkable room. It was rectangle shaped, average sized, and the walls were a neutral shade of offwhite. There was a large window on one wall, letting the sunlight in and there was a modest closet next to the door. A fan sat in the dead center of the ceiling, a single large lamp hanging off its base. A dresser was against one of the walls and a desk with a chair was set up in one corner. Nothing about the room was very exciting at all.

And yet, Noctis was beyond thrilled.

"Coming through!"

Noctis hopped to one side as Gladiolus backed into the room, carrying one end of a mattress that was turned on its side. At the other end was Ignis, telling him to go right once he passed the door.

"I said right, Gladio," Ignis said as Gladiolus veered to the left.

"I thought you meant your right."

"If I wanted you to go to my right, I would have told you to go left."

Once they corrected their direction, they carried the mattress over to the empty bed frame sitting at the far end of the room and hefted it into place, the mattress falling into place with a satisfying sound. A few seconds later, Prompto poked his head into the room before stepping in, a large black duffel bag with grey straps slung over his shoulder.

"Hey, thanks you guys! I really appreciate it!" he chirped, dropping the bag onto the floor and putting his hands on their shoulders.

"No problem, kid," Gladiolus replied.

"You're welcome, Prompto. It was no trouble at all," Ignis nodded, closing his eyes and basking in the appreciation. Noctis snorted, he knew it was a subtle jab at both him and Gladiolus for not thanking him enough. They didn't take him for granted. Really. They just...forgot to say thanks sometimes. More often than not. Frequently. Whatever. Ignis' passive-aggressive gesture was easy for him to ignore, because nothing was going to bring down Noctis' mood.

Because today his best friend was moving in and becoming his roommate.

The two of them first talked about it in high school. How they were going to live together and it was going to be the best thing ever. Then they immediately forgot about it as life went on. Both of them focused on their studies. Or rather, Prompto focused on his studies while Ignis personally drilled information into Noctis' head, which worked out great because as a result, Noctis graduated from high school with the highest grades. Fast forward to a month ago and Prompto casually mentioned that he wanted to move out of his parents' home. A week later, the two of them were making their case to King Regis and Ignis to allow Prompto to move into Noctis' apartment.

It was a much easier task than they thought it would be. They had come prepared with half a dozen arguments, but Regis was on board with the idea immediately and all Ignis wanted was a promise from Prompto to try to keep Noctis on track and look after him during their time together.

Fast forward again to the present time and once Prompto unpacked all his bags and boxes, Noctis' spare bedroom would officially become Prompto's room.

"What's next on the agenda?" Noctis asked. Playing some video games? Going out to a movie?

"You have a public appearance today in an hour," Ignis said. "In case you forgot."

That thing about nothing being able to bring down Noctis' mood? It was wrong. His mood was immediately shot. Noctis let out a groan. Right. That thing. It was a national holiday celebrating the founding of the kingdom. Every year his father had to give a speech about the history of the kingdom and honoring their traditions and Noctis' role was to sit on stage to the side quietly through the whole thing. "Do I have to?"

"Yes," Ignis replied, and took a deep breath when Noctis made more reluctant noises. "I'll have you know I don't enjoy it either." By virtue of their positions, Gladiolus and Ignis also had to be there and all three of them had to waste an hour doing absolutely nothing, trying desperately to not fall asleep from sheer boredom lest the paparazzi have a field day. Ignis reached into a pocket on his jacket and pulled out a key ring with two keys and a small, flat cartoon chocobo charm on it, holding it out to Prompto. "Your keys, Prompto. The gold one is for the apartment. The silver one is for your room."

"Thanks," Prompto said, taking them and lifting them up to his face to examine them as if he had never seen keys before. "Aww, you even got me a cute keychain."

"I saw it while I was having the apartment key made. I thought you would appreciate it," Ignis said. "Please take care to not lose them. Come, Noct, Gladio. If we don't leave now, we'll be late." Before Noctis could make an ultimately futile protest, Ignis was already pushing him out the door.

* * *

A crowd was already gathered at the front of the Citadel by the time they arrived, even though there was another forty-five minutes to go before the speech was to start. Forty-five minutes they had to spend getting ready. First came clothes. Noctis hated the royal outfit he had to wear for occasions like these. It was too elaborate. Too stiff. Too itchy. Too not his style. And he always needed help getting it on. After that was makeup to help cover up any imperfections on their faces. He understood why, of course. There was going to be dozens of cameras trained on them and it didn't do good for them to show up with dark circles under their eyes and blemishes on on their cheeks, but Noctis always hated this step. It made him feel like a girl and his only solace was that Gladiolus had to wear it too. The procedure was finished with five minutes to spare, which Ignis used to procure a hairbrush from _somewhere_ to give Noctis' hair a quick last minute touch up. Noctis flinched whenever he hit a snag.

The speech itself was just as boring as he predicted it would be. Noctis stared out at the massive crowd of people that had come to hear King Regis speech and everyone there just seemed to meld into a single colorful, faceless blob. Just five minutes in, he could already feel himself starting to drift off, only to be woken back up when Gladiolus discretely managed to step on his foot with as little movement as possible.

Right. No falling asleep. As much as he wanted to. This was the worst. Why couldn't he just be on his phone or something? Why did he have to even be there at all? It wasn't like he was going to _do_ anything. Noctis shifted his eyes to the right and saw Gladiolus had spaced out, staring off into the distance. He wondered if he was thinking about anything or if his mind was completely blank. Noctis moved his eyes to the left to Ignis, who also seemed to be struggling to keep his focus. As much as Noctis relished seeing his advisor being less than perfect, the truth was they were all in this together. He looked out into the distance, looking for anything that could interest him for even a moment. His mind wandered, and he retreated into the realm of daydreams, imagining he was doing other things like helping Prompto unpack or playing King's Knight on his phone. He'd even take doing homework over this.

King Regis droned on. Noctis didn't even try to listen. It was the same speech every year, just worded differently. He already knew all the history and significance. They taught all this in his first year of middle school. And then they taught it again every year after that.

He was so happy he was almost done with school.

Before he knew it, Noctis felt an elbow jab directly into his side. He snapped back to reality and turned his head to see Gladiolus getting out of his chair. He watched his Shield's face frown as Gladiolus remembered he couldn't stretch his limbs like he usually did after being immobile for a long time. Not during a formal public affair while they were being watched. The three of them walked off the stage and back inside the Citadel where Noctis slumped over the moment they were safely behind doors.

"Can we leave now?" he asked. "Or do I have to be somewhere else?"

"We're free," Ignis replied. "We have no more obligations, but the press will be waiting for us when we leave."

In other words, not free. Ignis continued.

"Now, I know I don't need to tell you this, but-"

"I gotta look nice for the cameras," Noctis interrupted. "No sleeping. No frowning. No scowling. Smile and wave if I can manage it."

As they drove out of the Citadel, people lined up along the streets crowded around each other hoping to get a glimpse of royalty. Noctis put on his "for the public" face, a well practiced facial expression made for the exact purpose. He opened his eyes a little wider and consciously turned the corners of his lips slightly upward. Occasionally, he'd turn his face to the window, shut his eyes, and flash his teeth to the adoring public and wave. Without fail, he'd hear at least three teenage girls scream in delight. He started developing this technique as a child when it was pointed out to him that his neutral faces looked depressed or angry and that fact didn't change as he grew older. In fact, it got even worse. "A serious resting bitch face problem," Prompto had called it.

 _Fake it until you make it,_ he thought as they continued down the road, the throngs of people slowly getting smaller and smaller.

Just another day in the life of Noctis Lucis Caelum, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Lucis.

* * *

"Welcome back!" Prompto greeted, jumping up from the couch and looking chipper as the three of them trudged into the apartment single file.

Ignis stood up straight and smiled, pretending he hadn't been as miserable as Noctis was during the whole thing. "It went perfectly."

"Just glad it's over," Gladiolus said as he made his way to the couch and sprawled himself on it, earning an indignant "hey!" from Prompto, who gave him a light, completely ineffective punch in the shoulder. Gladiolus responded by sinking deeper into the cushions.

"It was awful," Noctis growled as he lumbered past them all, shedding his jacket and tossing it haphazardly onto the nearest chair. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his whole body, as if he were trying to shed his own skin. Prompto watched him thoughtfully for a moment before snapping his fingers.

"I decorated my room while you were gone," he said, putting a hand on Noctis' shoulder and giving him a big grin. "Like, a couple posters and a few bulletin boards and a bunch of stuff pinned onto those boards. Wanna see?"

Noctis pushed Prompto's hand away. "Tired. Maybe later," he mumbled before stalking towards the bathroom. He slapped the light switch on and closed the door with a little more force than necessary before pulling open a vanity drawer to rummage through the contents. Not finding what he was looking for, he frowned and shut it, opening the drawer below it.

He repeated the process two more times.

"The hell?" he said to himself and went back to the first drawer and slapping his palm to his face when the object he was looking for was right in front of his face. He grabbed the bottle out of the drawer and read the label, as it was quite evident that he was too damn tired to do something as simple as see something that was in plain view.

 _Makeup Remover_ , the label read. Yep. This was it. For a moment, Noctis looked up into the mirror to stare at his own reflection then reached under the sink to get a handful of cotton balls and opened the bottle, pressing a cotton ball to the opening and turning it over to wet it. He set about wiping the foundation from his face and he felt more and more liberated with each inch cleaned. Once he had gone over his entire face, he tossed the cotton balls in the trash and turned on the faucet, splashing cold water onto his face and soaping it up with cleanser. He waited for a minute, washing his hands with soap, then rinsed, cupping his hands and letting them fill completely before throwing it onto his face, some droplets falling into his hair and onto his shirt. He didn't mind. Chilly water hitting him was exactly what Noctis needed at the moment. Once he was satisfied, he shut off the faucet and used a small towel to wipe his face and dry his hands.

He felt a lot better.

When he emerged from the bathroom, Ignis was bustling around the kitchen, going through his cabinets looking for pots and pans and muttering something about how it was so disorganized and he didn't understand how this happened when Noctis didn't cook. Over at the couch, Gladiolus hadn't moved at all and Prompto, determined to not have his spot taken from him, opted to just sit on the man who didn't seem to mind having an extra weight on his abdomen, perusing a swimsuit magazine while Prompto held the television remote in his hand, flipping channels idly.

"What's for dinner?" he asked, joining Prompto on the Gladiolus couch.

"Stir fry," was the answer.

Noctis suppressed a whine that threatened to escape from his mouth. Stir fry usually meant a lot of vegetables and already he was making plans to pick around them to get to the meat and noodles. He turned his attention to the television, the images rapidly changing from Prompto's channel surfing. There were a lot of news channels replaying recordings of Regis' speech from earlier. There were a few shots that were focused on Noctis himself during the speech and some while in the car. For most people, it was weird or exciting to see yourself on the airwaves. For Noctis, it happened weekly. At the minimum. It was cool at first, but it quickly lost its appeal once he was nine.

"I think there's reruns of Gullwings on channel twenty-five," he suggested.

"I'd rather watch something I haven't seen ten times already," Prompto replied.

"Fisherman's Horizon is in ten minutes," Gladiolus said, putting down his magazine on the coffee table. "Change to fourteen."

"We're not watching your shitty soap operas," Noctis huffed.

"They're not shitty," Gladiolus protested as he reached over to pluck the remote from Prompto's hand, changing the channel. And before either of the boys could try to wrestle it back from him, he shoved the remote into the couch cushions directly underneath his body.

Noctis put up a token protest before settling down and pulling out his phone. He divided his attention evenly between what was going on in the show and the apps on his phone. He scrolled through his messages. Reminders from Ignis he chose not to read, his lab partner in school asking for his half of next week's assignment, and a message from King Regis, which he chose to read.

It was an apology from his father, saying he couldn't make it to their scheduled lunch the next day. Something urgent came up about contaminated water in one of the residential districts and a mandatory meeting was being scheduled to deal with it.

He had half expected this. Half of his plans with Regis get cancelled for some reason or another. It was nothing new. It happened so often that the disappointment didn't sting so much as ache dully in his chest. He put his phone back in his pocket and went back to paying attention to the television.

"So what's wrong with that dude?" he asked, pointing at the screen where a man lay in a hospital bed, groaning dramatically. A woman threw herself onto the side of the bed and cried dramatically. A doctor came in and said some medical nonsense, dramatically. Noctis was _pretty_ sure half of those words were being used incorrectly and that the other half were made up.

"He's got a rare disease," Gladiolus clarified. "The woman's his fiancée."

"I'm afraid to tell you," The doctor said, dramatically. "That even if you recover, you may never be able to fish again." The woman openly wept. Dramatically.

There was a pause accompanied by very generous lingering shots of the man and the woman staring at the doctor with wide eyes and open mouths. _Very_ dramatically.

"Oh _shit_." Noctis gasped, then clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists.

"Oh my _god_ ," Prompto groaned, then stood up. "Okay, that's it. I'm done. I can't. I literally. Just can't. Have fun you two."

Noctis shushed him. "Okay. Great. Now move, you're blocking my view." He reached over to push Prompto away, but his arm couldn't quite reach and so he ended up weakly flailing his arm in the air. Regardless, Prompto obeyed his command and headed towards the kitchen to help Ignis prepare dinner.

Still seated on Gladiolus' abdomen, Noctis let himself get absorbed into the world of Fisherman's Horizon, with the sound of oil popping and dishes clinking in the background. A few minutes after the end of the episode, Ignis called them over to eat.

"I'm starting to see why you like that stuff," Noctis said as he stuffed a fork full of noodles into his mouth.

"Yeah," Gladiolus said as he did the same. "It's a far cry from high brow, but it's a great way to relax at the end of the day. You see all these people with their endless line of continuous problems and it makes you feel better about your own."

Noctis chewed his food thoughtfully. He heard Prompto whine beside him, but he was so absorbed in his thoughts it felt far away.

"Drama's awful to live through, but it makes great entertainment," Gladiolus continued as he jammed his fork into a stalk of broccoli. "If you wanna watch more, the whole thing can be streamed online."

"How many seasons are there?" Noctis asked.

"Eight."

Prompto choked on his drink. "Please tell me you're not going to watch the whole thing, Noct."

"I'm gonna watch the whole thing."

"I regret moving in with you already," Prompto groaned. "Maybe I should've asked Iggy if he'd let me move in with him instead."

Noctis laughed. "Specs would never let that happen."

Ignis peered at them over the frames of his glasses. "Please leave me out of your disputes."

Noctis left dirty dish duty to Ignis and Prompto and left his vegetable filled plate on the counter next to them. He heard Ignis sigh and rummage through his cabinets, once again complaining about how disorganized they were, and find a plastic container with a lid to scoop the leftovers into before putting it in the refrigerator in what he already knew to be a futile hope that Noctis would eat them later.

Opening the door to his own room, Noctis quickly emailed his lab partner his school work, then flopped onto his bed, drained despite the fact that he didn't do much of anything the entire day. He was mentally exhausted. Yeah, that was it. It had taken an intense amount of concentration to maintain his appearance as prince.

He heard a knock at his door and he managed to croak out a "come in" even though he was already halfway to the dream realm. The door clicked, creaked open halfway and Prompto poked his head in.

"Heya. Can I come in?"

"I already said you could, nerd."

The door swung all the way open and Prompto stepped in, making his way over to the bed and sitting on the edge of it.

"Tough day?"

"Yeah," Noctis replied, resisting the urge to bury his head under his pillow.

"Did something like, go really wrong? Something so terrible they had to put a gag order on it and the news was only allowed to say it went perfectly?" Prompto asked, looking very concerned.

Noctis shook his head and turned away from Prompto. "No, it was fine. Just like how it was supposed to be."

"So just the usual prince stuff, huh?"

He didn't reply at first. He could just say it was that and that was that. Prompto wouldn't pry. But he decided to continue and say the real reason he was upset: "Dad cancelled tomorrow's lunch."

Although Noctis didn't see it, Prompto winced. "Ooh. That's..."

"You don't have to say anything," Noctis said, relieving Prompto from his friend obligation to offer sympathy. "You know it happens all the time. Doesn't bother me anymore."

Prompto shifted, and it was like Noctis could feel his friend's uneasiness being transmitted through the bed like a soundwave.

"If you say so," Prompto said, standing up and going to the door. He had one hand on the doorknob before turning around. "But uh, if something does bother you, you can come to me, alright? No judgment and I won't tell anyone anything you don't want me to."

Noctis lifted his head and gave him a tired smile. "Thanks, Prom."

"Don't mention it," Prompto replied, returning the smile and giving him a thumbs up. "It's what friends do, right? We take care of each other." He opened the door and left, closing it softly behind him.

The door opened again. And Prompto stuck his head through one more time.

"My door's always open to you, okay?"

And then it shut again.

Noctis got up to turn the lights off and went to sleep.

* * *

Noctis awoke five minutes before ten in the morning which, for him, was pretty good. He rolled out of bed and shuffled out of his room and towards the bathroom, only to find the door locked on him. He frowned and tried again. Still locked. He tried it a third time. It still didn't yield to him and Noctis wondered how he managed to lock himself out of his own bathroom. Before he could come up with an answer, the door opened by itself and he was face to face with Prompto, who had one hand on the doorknob and the other balancing a contact lens on his index finger.

 _Oh, right,_ he thought.

He had forgotten Prompto moved in.

"Is this an emergency?" Prompto asked. "Because I just need another minute to put this in."

"No," Noctis answered. "Sorry, I'm out of it this morning."

"You're out of it every morning," Prompto replied, turning his attention to the mirror. He used his free hand to open his eye before putting the lens in. "Ugh, crap, it went in wrong." Immediately, he pinched at his eye to pull it back out and Noctis found the sight to be some combination of fascinating, weird, and kind of scary. How could Prompto just so casually poke at his eye like that? The question went unasked as Prompto dipped the lens back into contact solution before putting it in for the second time. "There," he said, satisfied as he emptied the lens case and left it on the counter before walking past Noctis to leave. "All yours."

Noctis brushed his teeth and showered, the water helping him wake up. When he made it back to his room, he put on clean clothes and towel dried his hair before combing it into a very carefully crafted state of controlled messiness. Once he was finished, he picked up his phone, intending to check on his Zell Tree in King's Knight. The lock screen showed that he had missed a message.

A message from Ignis two hours ago (he was still asleep then!) saying King Regis had asked him to take Noctis out for lunch since he couldn't and that he would there at eleven with Gladiolus to pick him up.

As he finished reading it, Noctis' phone beeped and vibrated as another message from Ignis appeared, saying he was there. Noctis grabbed his jacket, which was still on the chair he had thrown it on the previous night, stuffed his phone and his wallet into the pockets and put it on while walking out the door to see that Ignis was indeed there in the driver's seat of the R8 Star of Lucis. Which was _technically_ Noctis' car, but he didn't drive much due to Insomnia's traffic. It was frustrating and annoying, and thus the car usually spent its time with Ignis or parked in the Citadel. He could see Gladiolus in the back and Prompto was already in the passenger's seat.

"How about a little more warning next time?" Noctis asked as he got closer, crossing his arms and pretending to be upset.

"I texted you two hours ago," Ignis said.

"I was asleep," Noctis huffed. "I didn't see it until five minutes ago."

"Perhaps you should be more prudent in checking your messages."

"Or you could text at a reasonable hour."

"Noctis," Ignis said, giving him a glare that told him that he was one hundred percent done with this conversation. "Get. In. The. Car."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to keep updates regular. I predict they'll take a few days each, but no longer than a week.


	2. You're the Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note about the original characters: they will all play supporting roles, the focus is still wholly on our boys

Bright and early in the morning, Ignis pushed open the doors to his office.

"Good morning, Sir," his secretary greeted, a young woman two years his junior with black hair pinned in a loose bun behind her head and rimless glasses over her brown eyes.

"Good morning, Serafina," he returned, going straight for the coffee machine, as was his routine. "Are there any messages for me?"

"Yes, Sir," she responded. "We have received word that Tenebrae wishes to make a diplomatic visit. I left the relevant reports on your desk. Otherwise, today's schedule is the same: you have meetings at one and three in the afternoon."

Ignis thanked her as he poured his coffee into a cup and started a fresh batch. He made his way to his desk and sat down, finding the mentioned report front and center. He read through it quickly: Tenebraean officials were coming to Insomnia to negotiate a new trade deal. They would need the best accommodations that could be provided as well as as access to Insomnia's best restaurants and other venues. It was important to keep good relations with them, especially since Niflheim has gotten a bit unstable as of late. Political unrest was stirring over there, and it had the entire world watching them closely, and should something happen, Lucis wanted to count on Tenebrae's support and cooperation. For that to happen, they had to make sure that the Tenebraean diplomats had nothing but a pleasant time in the Crown City.

He started writing down notes on a pad of paper, planning the itinerary. Lodgings were first and the most important. The Baron hotel, perhaps? He jotted the name down then immediately crossed it out. There was absolutely no way he could put the diplomats in the Baron. That's where they stayed last time they were in Insomnia. He tapped his pen against the pad meticulously going through all the possible options and examining them from every angle, crossing them off the list when he found a reason to. The Alexandria would probably be completely booked due to the popular new play that had just opened to rave reviews. The Golden Saucer was too brash for government officials. Finally, the perfect answer came to him: The Galbadia Hotel. It was high class, upscale, close to food and entertainment, and a short distance from the Citadel. He wrote it down and then decided to move on to restaurants.

"Hard at work as always."

Ignis looked up from his papers to see a tall woman standing in front of his desk. Her eyes were a pale shade of blue and her light brown hair reached down past her shoulderblades. Ah yes, what work day was complete without a lovely conversation with _her_?

"Hello, Felicia," he said, looking back down at the report and pretending to read it over a second time. Felicia was five years older than him and had been working in the Citadel for three years longer. She was always a little difficult to get along with and she was always bitter that someone younger than her was her superior, but Ignis had to admit she was good at her job. "How may I help you?"

"What makes you think I need help?" She asked, and Ignis could practically hear the unsaid _from you_ in her words. "Can't I just stop by and say hello to my superior in the morning?"

Ignis put the papers down to take a long sip of coffee. "Normally, yes, but you only willingly initiate conversations with me when you want something."

"I'm hurt!" Felicia said, putting a hand over her chest. "Is that really how you think of me?"

"It is, yes."

She dropped her act. "I need more funding."

"Again?" Ignis frowned. "As I recall, you were approved for a budget increase last month."

"It still isn't enough."

He put a hand to his forehead. "What are you spending the money on, Felicia?"

"I'll submit an itemized report later this week," she said. "Do you want this to succeed or not?"

Of course he wanted it to succeed. It had his name attached to it, not to mention it was important work to provide assistance to Duscae. Recently, heavy rains have caused floods that have destroyed a portion of their crops, affecting the peoples' livelihoods as well as impacting food supplies for the whole kingdom. Felicia was in charge of overseeing the effort. "Very well. I'll talk to Illumina and see what I can get for you."

"You're the best, Boss," Felicia said in what was far and away the fakest voice Ignis ever heard, and he's had to sit through Gladiolus' soap operas. Time to schedule another meeting.

Once she was gone, Ignis looked over the rest of the work he needed to do. Missives, reports, packages, and other various things addressed to Noctis sat on his desk. He needed to go through as many of them as possible and deal with whatever issues they brought up. This was normally supposed to be Noctis' job, but Ignis had taken it upon himself to act in his stead.

He went through them one by one. Most of it was asking for approval from various government workers to do something or other. Ignis read through the requests and approved or denied them accordingly. As he worked, he idly thought that arranging everything for the Tenebraean envoys would be Noctis' job as well. And here Ignis was, doing it for him.

Not that it was a big deal, of course. Ignis did everything he could for Noctis, and that included most of his royal duties as prince. It was his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty that got Ignis to where he was. He worked himself hard every day to take on extra work and make himself valuable to his prince and his country. It meant having to sit in twice as many meetings as was officially required of him, doing the workload of two people, and having to deal with Felicia every day, but he did it without complaint.

Such was a normal day in the life of Ignis Scientia, the youngest and most capable advisor in Lucian history.

Two hours later, he could take his lunch break, then right after that was his one o'clock meeting. Ignis scrolled through his phone. As much as he wanted to continue working through his lunch break, he couldn't because his secretary had literally confiscated it from him saying he could have it back after his meetings. First he checked on King's Knight, because even if it was a silly mobile game that Noctis made him download and play with them, he took it seriously. Afterwards, he checked his messages, of which there were many. Most of them were work related and being on break, he didn't want to deal with them at that moment and Serafina would give him an earful if she caught him. He checked his messages from his friends instead.

Gladiolus wanted him to secure a reservation for two at one of Insomnia's most popular restaurants. On a Friday night. Next Friday night. Ignis had to put down his phone for a minute and pray to Leviathan for the strength to not attempt to murder his dear friend Gladiolus over text message.

> **Gladiolus:** Just drop ur name or something
> 
> **Ignis:** It doesn't work that way and you know it.
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Just give them a call. I'll owe u one
> 
> **Ignis:** Currently, you owe me twenty-three favors.
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Do you actually keep track?
> 
> **Ignis:** I do. I'll add this one to your tab.
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Your the best Iggy

There was another message from Noctis.

> **Noctis:** r u coming to cook tonight
> 
> **Ignis:** No.
> 
> **Noctis:** k im ordering pizza then
> 
> **Ignis:** Please clean up after yourself. Don't leave everything to Prompto.

And finally, messages from Prompto. He had sent a picture of himself with Cor taken on his phone's camera. Both of them were grinning like idiots, Prompto with his free arm slung around Cor's shoulder and the marshal winking and flashing a peace sign at the camera. While it seemed like a simple selfie, it was amazing to Ignis.

> **Ignis:** Incredible, Prompto. How did you convince the marshal to take a picture with you?
> 
> **Prompto:** I asked really nicely and he said yes. :D
> 
> **Ignis:** I don't think I've ever seen Cor smile like that.
> 
> **Prompto:** Inorite? Im saving this for posterity! So hows your day going?

He spent the rest of his lunch hour texting back and forth with Prompto, telling him how work's been. In all honestly, Ignis wasn't sure if Prompto actually cared about his day, but it was nice that he asked and seemed to pay attention, even if much of what he said went over his friend's poor blond head. With five minutes left in his break, he apologized and sent one last message that he had to leave to attend the first of the day's meetings, smiling when Prompto sent a "Bye!" back.

As he walked towards the conference room, he called the restaurant Gladiolus asked him about and through careful negotiation, managed to get a time that wasn't too early or too late for dinner, as was often the case when people tried to get a reservation. For a Friday. Only five days in advance. He texted Gladiolus back, telling him the time and to never ask him to do that again because even if he was the advisor to the prince, it didn't mean he could just go around using his position to push local businesses around.

Ignis sat quietly in the first two meetings, taking notes to give to Noctis later (that were guaranteed to go unread) and giving his input whenever necessary. Contrary to what some might believe, he didn't like going to meetings. Meetings were the worst. Meetings were when a bunch of people gathered around to talk about doing stuff, argue about doing stuff, and the only stuff that actually got done was the planning of the next meeting.

No, he didn't like meetings. In fact, he hated them. They were a huge waste of time that lasted three times longer than they needed to. Time that could be spent doing something productive. He had higher hopes for his third meeting of the day, taking place at a late 5:30 in the afternoon, if only because it was a one-on-one meeting with someone who shared his disdain for meetings.

Illumina was one year younger than him and a short woman. Extremely short. Short as in Ignis was a full foot taller than her. She also controlled the royal treasury and thus the flow of funds in the Citadel. The amount of power she wielded was great, and even Ignis was subject to her mercy.

"Let me get this straight," she said, glaring up at him with hazel eyes. "The Duscae farmers relief effort needs _another_ funding increase?"

"That's what Felicia said," Ignis answered, feeling small despite the fact that he towered over her even while seated.

"I didn't ask what _Felicia_ said," Illumina hissed, slamming the dark mahogany table with both hands and Ignis drew back slightly. She sat back in her chair and moved her long, thick platinum blonde hair back as it had fallen in front of her face. "I'm asking if the relief effort needs more money. If I recall correctly, the damage in Duscae wasn't that bad."

"Felicia promised to turn in an expense report later this week, but I can't wait that long." If the farmers were really suffering...

She took a deep breath. "She should have had it ready before asking. You should have fired her a year ago."

Not this again. Ignis was well aware the number of people who liked or could even tolerate Felicia could be counted on not only one hand, but a hand that was missing two fingers. "She performs her duties adequately. Please, Mina-"

"Don't you _Mina_ me," Illumina growled at him, then her face softened. "Alright, fine. But this is the last time. No more money is going to the effort after this and that's final."

"Thank you, Illumina," Ignis said, standing up and bowing. He was really, truly grateful for both her kindness and for the fact that she had only yelled at him a little bit.

"Ignis," she called to him as he had one hand on the door's handle. "You're too nice. You care too much. You need to stop that."

He didn't answer her as he opened the door and left the conference room.

* * *

Due to his last minute meeting, Ignis left the Citadel late and was left with the decision whether to drive or take public transportation home. Each one had their disadvantages. Driving meant having to go through Insomnia traffic during rush hour and would at least double his commute. Public transportation meant having to be recognized and stared at the entire way back.

He chose public transportation. He wanted to get home as soon as possible. As expected, many heads turned as he walked among the crowds.

"Isn't that Ignis Scientia?"

"You mean Prince Noctis' advisor?"

"What's he doing on the subway?"

 _Going home, like everyone else here,_ he wanted to snap, but he kept it to himself. Of all the things Ignis could possibly do in this situation, causing a scene by losing his temper was one of the worst. He scanned his pass like a normal person. Went through the turnstile like a normal person. Got on the subway car like a normal person. Stood because there were no available seats. Like a normal person.

He ignored the additional stares he got, instead pulling out his phone looking for a distraction. More work messages, which he wasn't going to look at until later. A thank you from Gladiolus. More pictures from Prompto. A new message from Noctis.

> **Noctis:** specs
> 
> **Noctis:** i ordered pizza and told them no peppers
> 
> **Noctis:** guess whats on the pizza
> 
> **Noctis:** peppers
> 
> **Ignis:** Just pick the peppers off, Noct.
> 
> **Noctis:** i did prompto ate them
> 
> **Ignis:** Why are you texting me?
> 
> **Noctis:** can you come over and make something else im still hungry
> 
> **Ignis:** There's still the vegetables from last night's stir fry in your refrigerator.
> 
> **Noctis:** very funny so are you coming or not

He didn't want to go. Ignis really, really, did not want to go to Noctis' apartment at the end of a stressful day to cook him something because he didn't have the foresight to order enough food. Ignis just wanted to go home and go to bed and enjoy the minuscule reprieve he got until the sun rose again. There was nothing he wanted to do less than go to Noctis' apartment in the middle of the daily hell on Eos that was the Insomnia rush hour.

> **Ignis:** I'll be there in twenty minutes.

To get to Noctis' apartment, Ignis had to switch subway trains and walk three city blocks. More gawkers stopped to watch him go by and he did his best to ignore them. When he reached the apartment, he knocked before using his key to open the door. He saw Prompto at the table with the container of leftover vegetables and a fork in one hand, a broccoli stalk impaled on the prongs.

"Hi, Ignis," he said after finishing his mouthful of food.

"Where's Noct?" Ignis asked, putting his things down on a chair and immediately heading for the kitchen.

"In his room," Prompto answered before sticking the broccoli in his mouth, chewing, and swallowing. "Sorry he made you come out. I offered to make him something myself, but he refused. Guess he only likes it when you cook."

"It's no trouble," Ignis lied as he opened the refrigerator door to take stock of the supplies. There seemed to be a lot more food in there than normal and he suspected that was Prompto's doing. "I appreciate that you offered."

"Just keeping my end of the bargain," Prompto grinned, stabbing the last few vegetables in the container. "I did promise, after all."

At first, Ignis wasn't sure what promise he was talking about until he remembered how he had asked Prompto to try to take care of Noctis as a stipulation for approving them moving in together. Ignis had only been half serious when he set that rule, but a part of him was happy that Prompto decided to take it seriously. "Would you like to assist me then? Perhaps we can get your cooking up to a level Noct would deem acceptable."

Prompto's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Sure!" Ignis noticed that he was always eager to help in any way he could, even for something as simple as setting the plates. But this time he didn't want to simply saddle Prompto with busywork. He was serious about his offer to help Prompto improve his cooking.

The criteria for a dish was something quick and easy. A simple dish of sautéed chickatrice breast was chosen and Ignis explained every step of the process, from cutting the meat to seasoning it to how to properly cook it. He let Prompto try it out for himself on a few experimental slices and he ended up slightly overcooking it, but for a first attempt, it was pretty good. Most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but Ignis was not most people.

Plating was the next aspect to be taught. Presentation was just as important as flavor and Ignis demonstrated the difference between an artfully plated dish versus one that was just thrown together haphazardly. Prompto didn't seem entirely sure he could see a real difference, but he did agree that the former looked nicer than the latter.

Finally, it was time to call the real judge: the prince himself. Prompto went to retrieve him and almost had to pull him out of bed to come get him to eat.

"Dude," Ignis heard him say. "You made Iggy come all this way to cook you something the least you can do is eat it while it's hot."

It was just like Noctis to call him over and fall asleep.

A minute of goading later, Noctis managed to lumber out of bed and shuffle to the kitchen where his plate of sautéed chickatrice breast was waiting for him. He uttered out something that sounded something like a greeting before sitting down at the table and picking up a fork. Quietly, he poked at the food a bit before eating it as Ignis got him a drink.

"Thanks, Specs," Noctis said as soon as he finished and gulped down half his drink. "You're the best."

Yes. Ignis knew he was the best. He got told that daily from at least half a dozen people. This was the third time he was hearing it that day. He took Noctis' empty dishes from him to the sink for cleaning and a hand touched his wrist when he was just about to turn on the faucet.

"Nuh uh," Prompto said, shaking his head before pulling Ignis away from the sink. "You cooked, I clean."

"Is that so? I don't recall being the one to rub the spices into the meat," Ignis replied.

"That still isn't cooking," Prompto said.

"Prep work is a part of cooking," Ignis insisted. "I appreciate the offer, Prompto, but I can do it myself." Prompto said nothing, but watched him clean the dish and silverware before putting them on the drying rack.

"Hey, Prompto," Noctis called. "You _sure_ you don't wanna watch Fisherman's Horizon with me?"

At the question, Prompto visibly shuddered. "I'm good. Thanks. I'm going to do something more exciting like stare at the wall."

"Your loss," Noctis shrugged before heading back to his room. Prompto fell backwards into the couch and sprawled himself out.

"Hey, Ignis," he said as Ignis dried his hands. "Is he always this...high maintenance?"

Ignis chuckled. "I don't wish to speak ill of the prince, but yes. He is."

Prompto stared up at the ceiling and Ignis wondered if he really did think it was better than watching an angler angled soap opera. Then again, he has seen the odd episode of Fisherman's Horizon and he had wanted to throw a dagger at the television by the time it was over, so maybe Prompto wasn't overreacting at all. "Weird how I've never noticed before."

"It's because you have the luxury of only spending limited amounts of time with him," Ignis explained. "Or rather, that was the case until now." He watched Prompto curiously. "Are you regretting your decision to move in?"

"Nah," Prompto said, lifting an arm to wave off the question dismissively. "It just wasn't what I was expecting, you know? I guess I thought it was going to be all fun all the time. But that's unrealistic, isn't it?"

"I'm sure he just needs time to adjust," Ignis said as he made his way over to the chair he had left his things, rooting around it for the notes he had taken for Noctis during the day's meetings. He hadn't intended to give them to him until the next day, but since he was here, he might as well leave them on the counter to be thoroughly ignored. "His Highness doesn't handle change very well. He's used to routine and takes comfort in it. Any change, good or bad, tends to shake him up a bit."

Prompto seemed reassured by his words. "Yeah, everything will be cool again once he gets out of his funk." Bored of the ceiling, he brought his gaze back to eye level. "So, you leaving then?"

"Yes," Ignis answered, gathering the rest of his items. "If there's no other reason for me to be here, I'll be heading home. I'd like to get some sleep before tomorrow morning."

Prompto got to his feet and stretched out his arms with a yawn as he followed Ignis to the door. "Night then. I'll text you tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," Ignis said. "Good night, Prompto." He left the apartment and closed the door, hearing Prompto lock it behind him.

Rush hour had long passed and the trip home was far more pleasant. Past a certain time, the subways were all but empty and the normally packed cars would carry only a handful of passengers each. The night travelers were far less nosy than the rush hour crowd: they didn't pay attention to who they shared the subway with as long as they weren't bothered. Ignis found a sort of comfort whenever he rode the subway with the late workers and the drunks. They didn't care at all who he was or why he was on the train. After 8 PM, they were all equal. They were all just people who had places to go.

The subway slowed to a stop for the fifth time and the name of his stop was announced over the intercom. Ignis stood up and exited the train, walked through the underground hallways, and up the stairs to the surface, emerging onto the street. He lived in one of the more upscale areas of Insomnia, one with plenty of restaurants and designer shops lining both sides of the main streets. His place was just off one of those streets, where it was exponentially quieter and the smaller businesses like local run cafés and modest boutiques operated.

Ignis greeted the doorman as he entered then rode the elevator up to his floor, making his way to his apartment and unlocking it with his key. If he were to ever sell the place, he could demand a high price from it. It was in one of the most desirable locations in the city. It had a fully upgraded kitchen, two bedrooms, as well as two and a half bathrooms. It was tastefully decorated with modern art pieces carefully arranged on the furniture and on the walls.

He wouldn't have to do much to make it presentable to prospective buyers. He barely used the state of the art kitchen. Only one of the bathrooms saw use on a regular basis, the one attached to his bedroom. The television in the living space hadn't been turned on in a month. Ignis dropped his things onto a small table by the door and went straight to his bedroom, showered quickly, and went to sleep.

Tomorrow was going to be another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why do blockquotes have to be such a pain


	3. Unlucky in Love

Gladiolus put down his phone with a smile. He knew he could trust Ignis to pull through for him. If anyone could grab a short notice reservation at the famous seafood restaurant, Iifa, it was Ignis. Normally, Gladiolus tried to take advantage of his friend as little as possible, but he absolutely _needed_ this reservation. The three month anniversary with his girlfriend was coming up and he wanted to do something special.

He summoned his greatsword to do a few practice swings, for he was in the middle of a training routine when Ignis had sent word of the confirmed reservation. He swung the weapon with gusto, the other Crownsguard and Kingsglaive in the area giving him a wide berth. Gladiolus was known to get a little enthusiastic with his training, and that doubled when he had a girl on his mind.

"Whoa, watch it big guy," Prompto said as he nimbly hopped backwards. He wasn't in danger of being hit with the greatsword itself, but when Gladiolus focused and channeled his strength into it, even the displaced air from his swings could cause some serious damage.

"Sorry," Gladiolus apologized, taking a few steps forward to put a little bit more space between them. He held out his weapon to roughly gauge the distance before taking a couple more steps. There, that was perfect. "Feeling pumped today."

"I can tell," Prompto snorted. "Anyway, I'm gonna be over there. Way over there." Before Gladiolus could respond, he was already halfway across the room heading towards the racks where they kept the practice weapons where he selected a short blade for his daily melee practice routine.

Gladiolus turned his attention back to his own training, focusing on a target dummy in front of him and pretended it was an enemy trying to break past him to get to Prompto. He put himself in its intended path, blocking off a straight line between the dummy and its "target." Being an inanimate object meant only for taking blows, however, the dummy didn't move. It only glared at him with a _very_ crudely drawn angry face. The dummies were supposed to have blank faces, but a month ago, someone had sneaked in during the night to paint poorly realized faces on them. To this day, the culprit was unknown.

(Noctis. The culprit was Noctis, and everyone knew it, but they all pretended they didn't.)

He approached the dummy with sure footed steps. His fighting style was reliant entirely on strength and power, on being a dominant force in the battlefield. He commanded respect and attention and any who dared to ignore or forget him would pay for it dearly. The dummy represented one such enemy, and it was punished with a strike with the flat side of his greatsword. Even though his weapon was a type of sword that possessed an edge, its strength didn't come from its cutting ability. The greatsword's true power was its crushing ability from the force with which it was swung, a weapon that shined only in the hands of someone who possessed immense strength.

To this day, he still didn't know how Noctis was able to handle one with those scrawny ass arms of his.

He circled around the dummy, keeping himself between it and the unknowing Prompto at all times, going in for strikes whenever he saw an "opening." With a yell, he gave it one last smack.

The dummy broke in half.

Oops.

The top half of the dummy hit the floor with a loud thud, catching the attention of everyone in the training hall. In particular, it caught the ear of one Cor Leonis, Crownsguard and marshal of the Lucian forces who had been working with a bright eyed new recruit who was hoping to make Crownsguard. Gladiolus saw him sigh and say something, probably something along the lines of that he'd be back, before walking straight towards him.

"Crownsguard Gladiolus Amicitia," he said, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"Marshal Leonis," Gladiolus said with a salute.

"I believe we've talked about you being too rough with the equipment in the past."

It was a problem that popped up from time to time. Sometimes Gladiolus would get a little too into his training and break things. It wasn't like the equipment was flimsy: they were of the highest quality and made to withstand being trampled by a garula. There was old equipment set aside specifically to be destroyed by a Crownsguard or Kingsglaive unleashing their full might, but that dummy wasn't one of them. It was only three months old and not nearly ready for the scrap pile.

Cor knelt down to examine the fallen dummy more closely, putting two fingers on its neck as if it were a real person and he was checking for a pulse. "It's a shame. This one had my favorite face."

Even in death, the dummy kept its intimidating stare with its v shaped eyebrows, mismatched eyes, and pointed teeth sticking out of its c shaped mouth.

"I'll pay for the replacement," Gladiolus offered. Those things weren't cheap, but the Amicitias were a noble family and his own personal wealth was more than what most crown citizens had in their bank accounts. It wasn't a big deal to him. "And maybe we can ask the mystery vandal to give it a face." He then added quickly, "That is, we would if we knew who he was."

A smile tugged at the corners of Cor's mouth. "That's acceptable, Crownsguard Amicitia. Proceed as you were, but be a little more gentle this time." Cor stood up and went back to the recruit, who just looked completely bewildered at what she had just witnessed.

* * *

Gladiolus stood outside of an apartment door thirty minutes away from the Citadel. He smoothed out the wrinkles in his jacket and his pants before running a hand through his hair before ringing the doorbell. A woman about his age with long thick brown hair tied up in a ponytail answered the door and she seemed surprised to see him at first.

"Oh, Gladio," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Yo, Callie," he said, giving her a self assured smile and a wave. "Just here to tell you that I made some reservations at the Iifa on Friday at seven for us."

Well, actually Ignis made the reservations, but she didn't need to know that.

"At the Iifa?" she gasped, knowing full well that it was one of the most popular restaurants in all of Insomnia. "How did you do that?"

"I pulled some strings," he answered, by which meant he begged Ignis to do it for him. It wasn't a lie! He just wasn't explaining how he got it done. "Just for us."

The woman smiled, but it quickly faltered. "Gladio, come in. I...we need to talk."

Silently, he swore to himself. It was _that_ tone of voice. The one he hated most of all. He was extremely familiar with it and that meant that he knew exactly what was coming. When the woman turned around and stepped aside to let him in, his smile changed to a grimace. She offered him a seat and a glass of water, of which he took only the former.

"Gladio-" she started.

"I already know, Calliope," he said. "You want to break up."

Her face was full of regret as she nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry, but this isn't working."

"It's fine," he said, sounding distant. "If it's not working, it's not working."

"I can't do this," Calliope said, burying her face in her hands. "I can't have a relationship where every day I have to worry that you might not come back."

Gladiolus understood. He really did. He's had this conversation plenty of times in the past. It was the most common reason his girlfriends broke up with him. "I told you when we started what exactly my job was. I have to protect the Crown Prince with my life." Gladiolus' duties went beyond that of a regular Crownsguard. He was the personal shield of Noctis Lucis Caelum, sworn to be even closer to his side than Ignis (even if Scientia gave him a run for his money in that department) and directly responsible for his safety. Dying young and violently was a very real possibility and that just put a huge strain on his love life.

He didn't blame any of them for leaving him. He knew it was a lot to ask for from a woman.

"I know," Calliope sighed, wiping a tear from her eyes. "I thought I would be able to get past that, but it turns out I can't."

"Hey," he said. "It's not your fault. You deserve someone who can take care of you in the way you deserve."

"It's not yours either," she said, and her voice gave away that this wasn't something she wanted to do, but she knew she had to. "You're a good, wonderful man, but I can't be the one for you."

He stood up. "I'm just gonna. Go. Before this gets any harder for either of us."

"Gladiolus," Calliope said. "I just want you to know I really hope you do find that someone."

He paused. Calliope was a good girl. He knew her words were sincere. "Yeah. Me too."

When he was a block away from Calliope's apartment, he turned into an alley way to lean against a brick wall. That was another failed relationship he could add to already impressive collection. He had really thought he had something special going on with Calliope. He thought maybe, just maybe, she was _the one_.

Well, he had thought the same about Justine. And Helena. And Soleil and Corona and Lucia and Medea and Venus and-

Turns out none of them were the one. They all had their problems. Helena and Soleil were like Calliope, unable to handle the pressures that the role the King's Shield put on them. Medea thought he was cheating on her. Which he _wasn't_ , thank you very much. Justine realized she was a lesbian about two weeks into the relationship and broke it off immediately.

And that was only just some of the girls Gladiolus had dated. He's been dating since high school and had never managed to keep a relationship going for longer than six months. He supposed he just had to keep trying. He knew he wasn't for everyone, but at this point, he was wondering if he was for _anyone_.

Still, there was always another girl out there who would give Gladiolus Amicitia a try. Everywhere he went, he would notice women admiring him from afar. Maybe, just maybe, one of them would stay.

He wondered if maybe he should head out to Lestallum to try to find a new girlfriend there. He heard the women there were tough. He definitely wouldn't mind a girl that was built. But going to Lestallum had its own problems. The women there were strong, yeah, but that didn't guarantee that they'd react any differently than the women in Insomnia. And there was no guarantee that anyone he found there would be willing to come back to Insomnia with him. Gladiolus didn't want a long distance relationship. He tried it once, with a girl on the other side of the kingdom. It sucked, and the two of them eventually just stopped contacting each other.

He pushed himself off the wall and made his way back to the luxurious place the Amicitias called home. Jared greeted him as he entered, offering to take his coat. Good old Jared. At least he was someone who could stay with him. Nearby was Talcott, playing with some cactaur toys. Gladiolus gave him a smile and a wave as he passed by and headed for the living area where his sister was.

Iris looked up from where she was doing homework and sprang to her feet. "Gladdy!" She bounded over to give her big brother a loving hug. "Welcome home!" She pulled away and looked up with him in concern. "What's wrong? You look sad."

"Calliope broke up with me today," he told her, and he explained what happened just an hour before. Iris gasped and puffed out her cheeks.

"Ugh! Well, that just means she wasn't good enough for you!"

He ruffled her hair. "Now don't be like that. Sometimes these things just don't work out and it's nobody's fault."

"But Gladdy," she pouted as she pushed away his hand. "This _always_ happens!"

Her words stung and he did his best to try to not show that they did. "Well, that's the problem with us Amicitias. Our whole family is sworn to protect the royal bloodline. It's tough on other people. You'll understand when you're older."

"When I start dating?" Iris asked.

"When you're older," Gladiolus repeated, adamantly not wanting to entertain the thought of his sister dating. Still, the more time passed, the more Gladiolus wondered how the hell his dad and his other ancestors managed to ever get married and have kids.

Speaking of which, it was an unspoken pressure on him. To find a wife and have kids to continue the family line. Preferably before he died in the line of duty. Thankfully, Gladiolus didn't plan on dying for a long time.

"Iris," he said. "I have reservations at Iifa for Friday at seven." He didn't mention that they were supposed to be for himself and Calliope, but he knew she'd figure it out herself. "Do you want to go?"

She shook her head. "I'd love to, but I can't. I already made plans to go see The Mog Knight with my friends." The Mog Knight, also known as the movie she's been anxiously awaiting the release of for over a year. There was no way Iris was going to cancel her plans to see it, and he wouldn't dream of asking her to.

"That's fine. I'll find someone else to go with." He _could_ go alone, but that just felt incredibly pathetic. Who goes to a fancy upscale restaurant by themselves aside from rich old eccentrics? He pulled out his phone and quickly scrolled through his contact list before tapping on Ignis' name.

> **Gladiolus:** Iggy r u doing anything Friday at 7?
> 
> **Ignis:** Isn't that when your reservation at Iifa is?
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Yeah it is. R u free?
> 
> **Ignis:** No.

Gladiolus was actually pretty sure he was free at that time as the weekends tended to be easier on everyone, including Ignis, but thinking back on it, perhaps Ignis wasn't the best person to ask. He had just immediately defaulted to him because Ignis was the one he usually turned to whenever he got dumped by a girl.

But this time, Ignis just might still be a little bit sore and feeling taken advantage of because Gladiolus had badgered him into using his skills and rank to get a reservation and now didn't have anyone to go to that reservation with.

He'll have to try someone else then.

> **Gladiolus:** Prompto r u free Friday at 7?
> 
> **Prompto:** Nope sorry man. Got class

Sometimes Gladiolus forgot that Prompto was still in school. Not a lot of people would dare try to juggle Crownsguard duties with education at the same time, but Prompto was one of them and it left his friend's life a bit sporadic. He didn't envy him one bit and was actually pretty impressed that Prompto was able to do that _and_ keep his grades up. Most people didn't make Crownsguard that young and the ones that did usually dropped out of school. A Crownsguard's salary was more than enough for most people to live comfortably and support a family on.

Gladiolus texted a few more friends in the Crownsguard and the Kingsglaive. Nobody was available to go. Who knew that so many people had plans on a Friday night?

And that was how Gladiolus ended up sitting in Iifa, one of the hottest restaurants in Insomnia, with Noctis Lucis Caelum as company.

"Evening, Gladio," Noctis said as he took his seat.

"Yo," Gladiolus said back. "Wasn't sure if you'd actually come."

Noctis picked up the menu and started to flip through it. "I'm not giving up free food. Plus Prompto's stuck in class so I have nothing better to do."

Gladio couldn't help but laugh. At least Noctis was refreshingly honest at times. "Heard the food here is some of the best in the Crown City."

Noctis' only reply was a grunt. Both he and Gladiolus grew up eating some of the best food the world had to offer daily, so the food at Iifa had to be super extraordinary in order to impress them. In fact, Noctis preferred common, lower quality food, usually of poor nutritional value (much to Ignis' dismay) for this very reason. They eventually chose their dishes and ordered, the waiter disappearing and reappearing quickly to bring them their drinks.

"You didn't tell me why you invited me out here," Noctis said as he sipped on his water. "What's the special occasion? New Cup Noodle flavor? Iris dropkick a guy? Is it some anniversary I don't remember?"

The word "anniversary" hurt, but Gladiolus refused to let it show. "No reason."

Noctis rested his chin on his hand and looked up at him disbelievingly. "You're telling me you got a reservation at one of the busiest restaurants in the city for "no reason?" Yeah, right, Gladio. Now tell me the real reason we're here."

The thing about Noctis was he could be really smart when he wanted to be.

"You got me," Gladiolus said, raising both hands in defeat. "Calliope broke up with me earlier this week. This was supposed to be our three month anniversary celebration."

"Who?" Noctis asked. "You go through so many girls so fast I can't keep track of them all."

"Long, thick brown hair, usually tied in a ponytail. Brown eyes. About your height."

Noctis looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"Never mind," Gladiolus sighed. In the end, it didn't matter whether Noctis knew her or not. She wasn't going to be a part of his life anymore. She had come and she had gone, just like all the other women he's dated. "I'm thinking about hitting a bar after this. Wanna come?"

"So you can pick up another girl?" Noctis asked as the waiter returned with their appetizers: fried calamari and oysters. He reached over to take two oysters and a spoonful of squid.

Gladiolus reached over to take some of the food for himself. "No. I want relationships, not rebounds. I just feel like drinking tonight and I'm not up for stuffy fancy restaurant wine."

Noctis looked at him doubtfully, as if he didn't believe him. "Sure. Whatever. I'll go."

The conversation paused as they hurried to eat the calamari while it was still hot and the oysters while they were still cold. So far, the food was living up to the restaurant's reputation. By the time they were done, the oyster shells were piled up, picked clean.

"No fair," Noctis grumbled. "You had more than me."

"I'm bigger than you," Gladiolus smirked in response. "I need more food. If you want more, then you need to eat faster."

"Next time, I'm ordering you to eat less."

"No can do, Your Highness."

The main course was served next: grilled swordfish for Gladiolus and baked catfish for Noctis. The choice of fish based dishes for both of them naturally led to the next topic: their newfound shared interest in Fisherman's Horizon. Noctis had watched all of the first season over the week and he was still struggling to do things like learn everyone's names or the basic plot.

Not that Gladiolus could blame him. Fisherman's Horizon suffered from an awful cast bloating problem and the writers just did random stuff during season one.

"The fishing technique's all wrong too," Noctis complained as he used his fork to dislodge another morsel of catfish from the bones. "Movies and TV never get it right."

"That's the way it is," Gladiolus said. "The real thing doesn't look as cool, so they try to spice it up for the camera."

"Real fishing is _plenty_ exciting," Noctis insisted.

A laugh escaped Gladiolus' mouth. "Calm down and finish your food."

Dessert was a slice of cake for each of them, good, but nothing special. Then again, this was a restaurant known for its seafood, not its baking. Gladiolus had half a mind to wonder if it was just premade cakes ordered from a catering company and kept in a refrigerator until it was time to serve. When the check arrived, he reached out to take it, only to have Noctis snatch it up.

"Noct."

"You invited me, I'll pay," Noctis said, looking over the receipt. He was already reaching into his jacket pocket to pull out his wallet.

"That's not how this works, Noct," Gladiolus said, reaching over to take it from him. "The person who invites pays."

"I have more money than you," Noctis argued, pulling the check out of reach.

"Noct, we're two of the richest men in the city," Gladiolus growled, holding his arm out. "I think I can afford it."

"Gladio, look," Noctis said, refusing to give it up. "Can you just let me do this for you?"

Gladiolus withdrew his hand. "Fine, if it means that much to you."

"Thanks," Noctis said, taking out a credit card and handing it to the bemused waiter who had been standing there quietly for the past thirty seconds.

* * *

They hit the bar closest to Iifa, one that Gladiolus had been to a few times. He greeted the bartender and ordered a strong drink. Noctis sat next to him and ordered something similar. They sat in silence, sipping their drinks and Gladiolus couldn't help but look around the bar at the other patrons. There was lots of men, but some women as well. Most of the women had come in groups, probably to look out for one another.

He felt a prod at his side and found Noctis staring at him disapprovingly.

"You're just here to drown your sorrows in alcohol, remember?"

He remembered. He was going to argue that he wasn't planning on making any moves on any girls, but he doubted that Noctis would believe him. Instead, he returned his drink, gulping it down quickly. He slammed the glass onto the bar and ordered another. Behind him, he heard some voices.

"Hey, that's Gladiolus Amicitia!"

"Voted hottest man in Insomnia two years in a row by _Citizen_ magazine."

Gladiolus suppressed a laugh. The _Citizen_ , despite its very fancy sounding name, was an entertainment and gossip rag.

"You don't want to get involved with him, though. Heard he's a serial heartbreaker."

The clinking of glass on wood in front of him told him his second drink was served and Gladiolus reached out to take it, pretending to not hear the gossip that was being said behind him.

"Don't listen to them," he heard Noctis mumble beside him. The prince hadn't yet finished his first drink and was circling the rim of the glass with a finger.

Gladiolus grunted. It was nothing new. He heard this every time he went out. Honestly, these were some of the nicer things people had to say about him behind his back. He chugged his second drink, feeling the burn of alcohol in the back of his throat.

Beside him, he heard Noctis whine. "Gladio, this place sucks. Let's get out of here." He threw money onto the bar, enough to cover their drinks and tips and hopped off his stool, hooking his arm around Gladiolus' and giving it a fierce tug. It didn't budge at all, but he continued to pull until his friend gave in and got off the stool and let himself be led out of the bar.

"Finally," Noctis sighed as they were out the door. It was much colder outside the bar than inside, but it was the pleasant kind of cold, the kind that refreshes the body and soul. "It was super stuffy in there." At his words, a night breeze ran through, ruffling their hair. With a frown, he reached up with a hand to try to smooth it back in place. Giving up, he leaned on the brick wall of the bar, next to the door. "You okay to go back home, big guy, or should we hang out here for a bit?"

"I only had two drinks," Gladiolus said.

"Yeah, but you guzzled them down like you were dying of thirst."

"It takes a lot more than that to get me piss drunk."

Noctis stared at him, then used a foot to kick himself off the wall. "Alright, but if you hurl on me, I'll never forgive you."

They walked in silence down the street, the sidewalks empty of pedestrians and illuminated by evenly spaced streetlamps.

"So what made you decide to take me out tonight?" Noctis asked. "It's never just the two of us unless we're training."

"No one else was able to go," Gladiolus answered, causing Noctis to stop briefly in his tracks. "I asked everybody, and I mean _everybody_ , and no one was available."

"So I was your last choice," Noctis said flatly. "Gee, thanks."

"Yeah, you were," he laughed, reaching over to sling an arm around Noctis' shoulders. "But it wasn't bad."

"Sorry I'm not fun," Noctis apologized as he tried, unsuccessfully, to wriggle free of Gladiolus' grasp.

Gladiolus laughed. "You're plenty fun when you feel like it. Like when you snuck in to paint faces on all the practice dummies. By the way, we had to replace one so and it would be awkward if it was the only blank one."

"Okay, one, that totally wasn't me."

"Right."

"But if it was me, I'd see what I could do," Noctis said, still stuck in the crook of Gladiolus' arm as they continued to shuffle down the street. "Hey, Gladio?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's do this again sometime. I'll pick the place. You can pay next time."

Gladiolus snorted and let him go, giving him a push on the back. "That's still not how this works, but fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing gladio is hard


	4. Friend Duty

Prompto shook his head and took a sip of water from a water bottle in order to fend off sleep. He wasn't sure why he thought night classes that happened right after training were a good idea, but in his defense, he never claimed to have good ideas. It was alright though. He actually liked the class and he had yet to actually fall asleep yet. Prompto kept himself busy by taking notes and making doodles in the margins of the paper when there was nothing noteworthy to write down. A dog in one corner. A cat in the next. Random relaxing patterns and shapes populated the third, and the fourth was left blank.

As the clock hit 7:30, Prompto put all of his papers and supplies into his bag, slinging it onto a shoulder and getting up out of his seat. Through the stream of people all eager to leave the room, one of his classmates ran up to him, waving an arm and calling his name. It was his project partner.

"Hi, Quintus," he said. "Ready to go?" The two of them were going to stop at a café to finish up their assignment, a presentation on the history of the cell phone. They had been working on it together for the past month and were getting along very well. Quintus was a techophile, just like he was and they spent half their time talking about things that weren't cell phones. Leaving the school campus together, they hopped onto the nearest subway train to ride over to the café. Only to find a line going out the door. A sign in the window advertised a new coffee drink, the apparent cause of the unusual boom in business. Through the glass, Prompto could see the redheaded waitress of the establishment rushing from one table to the next, trays of food and coffee balanced on both arms.

There was no way they were going to get in for at least an hour.

"Bummer," Quintus said, looking disappointed for a moment before brightening up. "Oh, I know! Can we go to your place?"

Prompto made a reluctant sound as he kept his eyes trained on the café. "I'm not sure. Can we go to yours instead?"

Quintus shook his head. "Sorry. My roommates are having a party tonight and trust me, you don't want to be there."

Inviting people back to the apartment was something Prompto really, absolutely wanted to avoid. It was why he suggested going to the café in the first place. He thought about all of the alternate options: the library would be closing soon, so that was out. He didn't know of any other places like the café they could go to. Quintus said his own place was unavailable and they couldn't postpone this meetup. This was the only time their schedules matched up before the project's due date.

There was no other choice. The apartment it was.

"Alright," he said, leading the way back to the subway. "My place should be fine. My roommate said he was going to be out for a while and we'll be done by the time he gets back."

"Your roommate?" Quintus repeated as he followed Prompto down the stairs, digging his transportation pass out of his back pocket. "You mean...Prince Noctis?"

Prompto paused, then used his own pass to go through the turnstile. This was exactly the reason why he didn't want to bring anyone to the apartment. "Yeah. The prince. He's meeting someone for dinner tonight, so he won't be back until late."

Quintus looked disappointed, but picked himself back up after a moment.

"Wow," Quintus said as he followed Prompto onto the train. "Must be someone like a diplomat or business tycoon. I bet they're talking about important stuff like foreign policy and the economy."

Prompto decided to not tell him that it was just Gladiolus Amicitia, Noctis' Shield and someone the prince saw on a near daily basis. And that they were almost certainly talking about that awful fishing soap opera that Gladiolus had gotten Noctis into the previous week. The one that Noctis watched an entire season of in one sitting, with the volume on his computer turned all the way up to maximum, lulling Prompto to sleep with the muffled sounds of hammy acting.

* * *

"Okay so," Prompto said as he fished out his keys. He held the key ring up by the gold key that unlocked the apartment door, the key to his room jingling against the cartoon chocobo charm on the end. "We'll set up in the dining room. There's plenty of space on the table and you can help yourself to any food or drink in the fridge. Bathroom's down the hallway, first door on the right. My room's across from it and Noct's is at the end of the hall." He unlocked the door and opened it to let Quintus in. "Please stay out of Noct's room."

"Sure," Quintus replied as he entered, dropping his bag on the table. Prompto followed and got bottles of water out of the refrigerator for both of them and they both sat down to get to work. But hardly five minutes had passed before Quintus asked, "So what's it like living with the Crown Prince?"

Prompto looked up from his work and shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

"Just okay? No way! He's the prince! It's gotta be awesome!"

"Quintus," Prompto said, putting down his pen. "Can we focus on the project here? We have to finish it tonight."

That seemed to get his partner back on track and they worked for an hour, putting the final touches on their assignment and practicing the speech they'd have to give in front of class a few times. By the time the clock struck 9 PM, they had everything down pat.

"Nice," Quintus smiled as he started packing up his stuff. "We finished! I should probably head back now. Even though they're probably completely drunk, the guys will be wondering where I am." He zipped up his backpack. "Oh, I'm gonna use the restroom before I go. First door on the right, yeah?" Prompto nodded as Quintus got up and headed down the hallway. Now that they were done with the project, he could finally take a break after a day of both training and school. He took out his phone while waiting for Quintus, checking King's Knight first before going through all of his other apps to do his daily tasks before the date changed.

With everything done, he finally checked his messages. The first one was a checkup message from his mother, asking how he was doing a week after he's moved out. He sent back a message he was saying fine and got a smiling emoji in return. The next message was from Gladiolus, telling Prompto that he needed to bounce around more during training. He sent a reply asking why, but when no response came, he moved to the next message, which was a continuation of a conversation that he and Noctis were having a few hours earlier before his last class about the culinary applications of chocobos, which Prompto adamantly insisted was _none_. The last message was from Ignis asking how his day's been so far, and Prompto was halfway through a reply when he realized that it's been fifteen minutes since Quintus went to the bathroom.

"Quintus?" he asked as he got up to go down the hall, only to find the bathroom empty. Strange. Did Quintus leave without a word? Was Prompto too absorbed in his phone to see him leave? Quintus was so chatty however, that Prompto had a hard time believing that the guy would leave without at least saying goodbye. He looked further down the hall.

The door to Noctis' room was slightly ajar. Noctis never left his door ajar.

Muttering a swear beneath his breath, Prompto stomped his way over to the door, grabbed the handle and shoved it open. " _Quintus!_ "

Sure enough, Quintus was there, standing in the middle of Noctis' room. He spun around and was wide eyed to see Prompto there. "Oh...h-hey, Prompto! I was just, uh...I got lost?"

Furious, Prompto marched forward until he was staring up into Quintus' face, eyes narrowed and teeth gritted. "The _one_ thing I said to not do was come in here!"

"I didn't touch anything, I swear!" Quintus insisted, hopping backwards and colliding with the foot of Noctis' bed. "I just wanted to take a look! I mean, it's _Prince Noctis'_ room, what kind of person _wouldn't_ come in here?"

"The kind of person who listens to what their friends tell them and respects boundaries!?" Prompto shot back.

"We're project partners," Quintus snorted. "Not friends."

For a split second, Prompto let his shock show on his face. However, it disappeared as quickly as it came, replaced by a glare that was twice as angry as his previous one. "Yeah? Well, _project partners_ and decent people in general still don't go snooping around in bedrooms."

"It's not a big deal-"

"It's a huge deal!" Prompto yelled, cutting him off. "Are you an idiot? It's bad enough you're sneaking around in my friend's room, but you said it yourself: this is Prince Noctis' room. You're lucky I'm the one who found you!" If it had been Noctis or Gladiolus or, Astrals forbid, Ignis, Quintus wouldn't even be alive to have this argument right now. "Maybe you forgot, but I'm Crownsguard, and I would be well in my rights to arrest you right now, but I'm going to let you go and we can pretend this never happened. You can go home, we'll give our presentation Monday, and we can ignore each other for the rest of the semester."

"Fine," Quintus said, stalking past him out of the room and into the hallway. "That's what I was planning to do, anyway. I only partnered up with you because I thought I'd be able to meet the prince."

"Get your stuff and get the hell out, Quintus," Prompto growled, exiting Noctis' room and closing the door behind him.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," Quintus huffed, grabbing his backpack and heading for the door, opening it. He looked back. "Just remember, Prompto: you're nothing without Prince Noctis." And with that, he was outside and slammed the door shut.

Prompto hoped the neighbors didn't hear that.

With a sigh, Prompto locked the apartment door before going back into Noctis' room to give it a once over. Quintus was telling the truth: nothing was touched, nor was anything missing. Satisfied that Noctis' room was fine, he left it for the second time that night and cleaned up his supplies off the table, bringing everything to his room.

He needed a break. Badly. Prompto tried to push what had just happened out of his mind and took his nightly shower, making a mental note to himself to tell Noctis to lock his bedroom door while washing his hair. Feeling moderately better, Prompto shuffled back into his room, got dressed, and all but collapsed into bed, burying his face into his pillow for a few blessed seconds before flipping himself onto his back, retrieving his glasses from his nightstand, putting them on, and taking out his phone again. Unlocking it brought him straight back to his half finished message to Ignis, which was originally a detailed description about training, class, the café being closed, and how he had just finished the project. He deleted the draft and sent another message instead, this one much shorter:

> **Prompto:** Awful

* * *

Prompto awoke with a start the next morning. He didn't remember falling asleep, but at some point he had put his glasses back in their case on the nightstand and plugged his phone in for charging. The clock next to his bed said that he had slept in an hour and Prompto was thankful that it was the weekend. Although he was normally a morning person, getting up to enjoy the brand new day didn't sound very appealing and staying a while longer in bed was becoming a more attractive option by the second. There was no harm in it. Even if Prompto had awoken a bit late, it was still going to be hours before Noctis woke up. More if Noctis had been drinking the previous night.

He grabbed his phone and checked through his apps and messages again. There was still no reply from Gladiolus to clarify the meaning of "bouncing around more" during training. In fact, there was only one new message from his phone, a reply from Ignis asking if he wanted to talk about his day. Prompto thought about it before deciding that yes, he wouldn't mind venting to someone about how much of a huge asshole Quintus turned out to be.

Prompto had never texted so many words in his life as his thumbs danced across his phone's screen at breakneck speed. He was used to people like Quintus. People who would say hi to him or be nice to him or try to befriend him when what they were really after was an opening to Noctis, but this was the first time someone had been so brazen and violating of his trust. He had all but physically thrown Quintus out of the apartment; he couldn't remember the last time he had been so angry. And he was going to have to do a presentation with the guy come Monday.

Ignis sent him words of support and encouragement, saying that none of what happened was Prompto's fault and that he had made the right decisions and told him that it would be over soon. The only thing left was the presentation, and then Prompto could put this all behind him.

> **Ignis:** I envy you, in a way.
> 
> **Ignis:** Luckily for you, it's only a temporary problem.
> 
> **Ignis:** I have to work with unpleasant individuals on a daily basis with no end in sight.
> 
> **Prompto:** You mean that Felicia lady?
> 
> **Ignis:** I was trying to avoid naming those unpleasant individuals, but yes.
> 
> **Ignis:** Felicia.

Despite everything, Prompto couldn't help but smile a bit. At least awful people were a constant no matter what kind of life you lived. Talking to his friends always made Prompto feel better whenever he was down. He didn't have many friends - not a lot of _true_ friends, anyway, but the ones he did have were the greatest friends a guy could ever ask for.

The door to his room opened and Noctis stood in the doorway. Prompto glanced at the phone's clock, which read eleven in the morning. That was sooner than he was expecting Noctis to be awake. It was somewhat incredible. A minor miracle of the stars. Someone alert the press: Prince Noctis, after a night of drinking, was awake before noon on a Saturday. What a mild piece of news to start out the day.

"Prompto, let's go out," Noctis said.

"Uh, sure," Prompto replied, putting down his phone. "Give me like, fifteen minutes to get ready." Noctis gave an affirmation before leaving to wait in the living area.

Hopping out of bed, Prompto picked out his clothes for the day and fixed his hair, years of practice managing to get the time down to something reasonable. He grabbed his camera bag as he left his bedroom and put his contact lenses in. As soon as they were in properly, he was out of the bathroom and into the living area, where Noctis was watching television while waiting for him.

"'Bout time," Noctis said, straining to reach the remote on the coffee table. He strained just a little more until Prompto took pity on him and nudged the remote into his reach. Holding it up, he turned the television off with a click. "I was thinking we could go downtown today. We'll eat at Zozo's and hang out at the arcade."

"Alright, cool," Prompto said as he waited for Noctis to get onto his feet. He opened the door for his friend and followed him outside. The weather was great: blue skies with the odd puffy cloud floating lazily by. It wasn't too hot or too cold; one of those perfect transitional days between summer and autumn. They walked side by side down the street and into the subway, taking a ride towards the bustling Insomnia downtown, a place that was always crowded regardless of anything: time, date, or weather.

They stopped for lunch at Zozo's, one of Noctis' favorite fast food restaurants. Considering the prince's general love of all things greasy and fattening, that said a lot. Prompto settled for one of the "healthier" options which was, in all honesty, really not that much better than the deep fried things. Sometimes he didn't know why he even tried. His food was one of their salads. The lettuce was limp and bland and the toppings merely just edible. It took a copious amount of salad dressing to give it something that sort of resembled flavor.

"Just get the burger next time," Noctis said as he picked up some fries to stuff into his mouth. "You'll be happier."

"Not all of us have an incinerator for a metabolism like you do," Prompto frowned, sticking a plastic spoon into a yogurt parfait, his healthy dessert to go with his salad. "You don't get fat, you like, send all your excess weight to the Armiger or something." Noctis rolled his eyes at him. "Anyway, how was dinner with Gladio?"

"Fine," Noctis replied before grabbing his soda to drink. He sipped the straw, only to find it empty, indicated by the large obnoxious sucking sound of air through a straw. He frowned and put it back on the table. "He needed someone to cry to because his latest girlfriend broke up with him."

"Oh, Calliope?" Prompto said as he chewed his food thoughtfully. "Too bad. She was nice."

"I can't believe you remembered her name."

"Uh, yeah?" Prompto said, pointing his fork at Noctis. "I try to make an effort to pay attention to what's going on in my friends' lives. You should try it sometime."

Noctis shook his head. "I don't think I can. My ability to remember names and faces for people is bad."

"Oh really?" Prompto asked, giving him a lopsided grin. "Who am I, then?"

Noctis reached over to steal the fork from him. "You're Prompto and you're a dumb nerd. Of course I know who you are. I see you every day."

"Just making sure," Prompto said as he took the fork back to round up the last few vegetables in the disposable plastic bowl. The prongs of the plastic fork bent under the effort, but he eventually managed it. That one shred of lettuce put up a hell of a fight, but it lost under Prompto's perseverance and skill in handling plastic cutlery. "Anyway, anything else with Gladio or did you guys just talk about your shitty soap opera all night?"

"It's not shitty," Noctis insisted, then sighed when he saw Prompto giving him the most unimpressed look in all of Eos. "Fine, it's awful, but it's entertaining as hell. Give it a try, Prompto."

"I gave it enough of a try last week when Gladio made us watch it," Prompto huffed. What he had seen was more than enough for him and he desperately wanted to purge it from his memory. However, he could not, because Noctis binge watching the thing with his computer on max volume meant that the theme song was now permanently etched in his brain.

"You're missing out," Noctis said as they threw out their trash and returned the trays. Prompto highly doubted that was true. "Anything cool happen while I was gone last night?"

Prompto had considered telling Noctis about Quintus, but he had decided against it. Noctis had enough on his plate. He didn't need to be told about how some moronic jerk tried to snoop around in his room. Prompto had gone over Noctis' room thoroughly and nothing was missing and nothing weird was put in.

"Not really," Prompto said. "I had to bring my project partner to the apartment last night because the Treno Café, you know, the one on 15th Street and Just Avenue? They were packed because they came out with a new coffee and I think it got rave reviews or something."

At the word coffee, Noctis made a face. The guy hated coffee, said it was too bitter even when he dumped copious amounts of cream and sugar in it. Yet he kept drinking it. Prompto didn't know why. Maybe Noctis was hoping if he drank it enough he'd start liking it. Well, he's been drinking it for a couple years now and his opinion of it hadn't changed.

"Oh," Noctis replied, immediately losing interest. "Good, because I don't want you doing exciting things without me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Prompto said as they headed out the door and headed for the arcade, which was only a block away from Zozo's. The arcade was one of their favorite haunts, a place they've been visiting ever since they were teenagers. With the rise of home consoles, it didn't see as much business as it used to, but it managed to carve out a niche for itself by carrying things people couldn't get at home and by becoming a popular hangout spot, even for people who didn't play video games.

They visited often enough that the staff and other regulars would say hello to them and continue on their way, which was always nice. Noctis went up to the token machine and inserted his bank card to purchase tokens for the machines. However, the thing liked to act up from time to time and it had trouble reading his card. Prompto could hear him grumbling something about how he had spent all of his loose money at the bar last night and tried putting his card in the reader again.

"Hey, aren't you Prompto Argentum?"

Prompto turned around to see a teenage boy, about three years younger than him staring at him all starry eyed.

"You are!" The boy continued. "I see you in the magazines sometime!"

Prompto didn't doubt it. Being Noctis' friend meant that he was often caught in photographs alongside Noctis for the newspaper or by the paparazzi. It started when they first became friends and as the years went by, he grew more and more used to it. It honestly didn't affect him too much. Nothing was ever written about him aside from when he first befriended Noctis and the only thing that's happened to him as a result was that people recognized him as "Prince Noctis' commoner friend."

"If you're here that means-!" The boy peeked around Prompto and let out a deep gasp. "Prince Noctis!"

Unfortunately, not everyone at the arcade was a regular who saw them all the time. There was always at least one person who acted like this. Noctis ignored hearing his name, as it happened all the damn time whenever he went out, and instead glared at the token machine. As if it were magic, this made the card reader finally recognize his card and he took a few seconds to ponder how many tokens he should buy.

The boy tried to push past Prompto to get to Noctis, but Prompto caught him by the collar and pulled him back to him. "Oh, no. No you don't. I don't know if you know this, kid, but it's not the greatest idea to just suddenly rush the Crown Prince of Lucis."

"Well, can you introduce me then?" The kid asked.

"I don't even know who you are," Prompto replied.

"If I tell you my name, will you do it then?"

"No," Prompto said. "The prince is here just to have a good time, so please don't bother him."

The boy glared at him and Prompto returned it until finally, the kid gave up and stomped off. "Ugh, fine. Keep him to yourself. See if I care!"

"That's not-" Prompto started to protest, but the kid was already out the arcade door. Was that what people thought of him? Some kind of selfish hog who was trying to keep Noctis to himself? He was only doing his duties as both a Crownsguard and friend. Noctis hated being surrounded by eager, shallow admirers who just wanted to say they were friends with the prince, and once they reached high school, Prompto had taken it upon himself to shoo away unwanted company. Seemingly oblivious to what just happened, Noctis returned with two handfuls of tokens, holding out one to Prompto.

"I got the tokens. C'mon, let's play some shooters. Bet I'll get a higher score than you."

Prompto held out his hand for Noctis to drop the tokens in and followed him deeper into the arcade, hoping that a few rounds of video games would push his troubles out of his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does Noct send all his fat to the Armiger? We'll never know.


	5. Prince of MSG

Noctis was worried.

It's been three hours and Ignis hadn't answered the last text he had sent him. Ignis always answered his texts promptly, even when he was stuck in a meeting or if it was the middle of the night. The wait was never more than two hours. He even tried calling Ignis' phone, but there was no answer and all Noctis got was his voicemail.

He was afraid that something had gone extremely, terribly wrong. Of course, it was entirely possible that Ignis had left his phone somewhere, but to Noctis, that was practically impossible. Ignis always had his phone on him as it was his most important work tool and unlike Noctis himself, Ignis never forgot things. No, something had to have happened. After a few more unsuccessful attempts to get a hold of Ignis, he dialed Gladiolus' number instead, hearing his Shield pick up on the third ring.

"What is it, Noct?" he heard Gladiolus say. "If you're calling, it's probably important."

"Have you seen Ignis?" Noctis asked. "He's not answering any of my messages."

"Yeah, I saw him," Gladiolus answered. "He's been running around all over the place. As in, actually running down the halls. At his full speed, too. I tried asking him what was up but he said he couldn't stop and that there were "major problems" that needed to be fixed right away. Sounds like there's been a huge screw up somewhere." Whatever that screw up was, it must have been very severe if it caused Ignis to put answering his messages on hold.

But at least Noctis was reassured that his advisor hadn't been murdered in a back alley or something. Not that Ignis would let himself be murdered in a back alley or anywhere else for that matter. Worries were sometimes irrational like that. More importantly, he was glad that the reason he was being ignored wasn't because Ignis was angry with him. Gladiolus had mentioned over their dinner that Ignis wasn't in the best of moods lately.

"Thanks, Gladio," Noctis said. "Guess he's probably going to be too busy to come over tonight."

"Want me to come over?" Gladiolus asked. "I'm no Iggy, but I know how to cook a thing or two."

"Pouring hot water into Cup Noodles isn't exactly cooking, Gladio," Noctis said as he opened his refrigerator to look at what they even had. He saw bread, deli meat, cheese, daggerquill breasts, birdbeast eggs, fruits, and a bunch of vegetables he couldn't identify. He moved to the freezer next and saw cuts of garlua meat, anak ribs, chickatrice wings, catoblepas brisket, fish, crab, and shrimp.

"Still better than what you can do," Gladiolus retorted as Noctis moved to the pantry. He saw noodles, pasta, rice, taco shells, basilisk broth, sauces, seasonings, and spices he couldn't pronounce the names of.

Well damn, it looked like there was nothing to eat in this apartment.

"Look, I only burned water that _one_ time," he said.

"Yeah, because you never tried to boil water again after that."

Noctis shut the pantry door. "Just get over here, Gladio."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Gladiolus finally made it to Noctis' apartment after fighting his way through Insomnia's legendary rush hour congestion. Noctis was on the phone, reading an hours late reply from Ignis which consisted of an apology for not responding sooner as well as an explanation as to why. When he heard the knock on his door, he put his phone away and unlocked the door to let Gladiolus in.

"Hey," Gladiolus said, holding up a shopping bag. Through the translucent plastic, Noctis could make out the Cup Noodle logo inside. Not that he expected anything else from trusty, reliable, and predictable Gladiolus Amicitia. He decided to do his part in the cooking, which was to find the stove top kettle used for boiling water. Noctis dug through all the pots and pans, shifting what had been Ignis' perfectly organized and sensible storage patterns until he found it, even going as far as taking it to the sink to fill it with water and to place it on the burner. However, he refused to go any further because to this day, Noctis still had no idea what the did wrong the first and only time he tried to boil water, leaving the daunting task of turning the knob to Gladiolus.

A loud click sounded throughout the kitchen followed by the sound of a flame being lit. All that was left was a waiting game. Gladiolus had brought a package of six chickatrice flavored Cup Noodles as well as his own six pack of rippling Amicitia abs. A heated discussion on fair division of the food with each man making his case, but eventually they agreed on two cups for Noctis and four for Gladiolus.

"Should we save some for Prompto?" Gladiolus had asked.

"He can fend for himself," Noctis replied.

The kettle whistled, indicating that it was ready, and Gladiolus turned the heat on the stove off as Noctis peeled the tops of two Cup Noodles and dug around his utensil drawer for chopsticks. Hot water was poured into the cups with practiced skill and the lids temporarily replaced to let the noodles rehydrate and cook.

Truthfully, Noctis didn't see the big deal about Cup Noodles. It was just instant ramen. Furthermore, he understood even less Gladiolus' insistence on this particular brand of instant ramen. He had tried asking about it once, looking for an explanation, but what he got was an extended heartfelt speech on the virtues of Cup Noodles and Gladiolus', quite frankly, rather worryingly intense feelings about them. The most truly astounding thing, however, was that the speech didn't answer a single one of his questions about what made Cup Noodles so great. He never tried asking again after that. It was like Ignis and his Ebony, but with more waxing poetic and less actual substance addiction.

The first cups of noodles were ready to eat after a few minutes and they retreated to the living area to settle on the couch to eat. Noctis turned the television on with the remote and activated his game console, which had streaming services on it, using his controller to go directly to Fisherman's Horizon and selecting season two.

"Not that I mind," Gladiolus said as he used his chopsticks to pick up a wad of noodles. "But you could at least ask me if I wanted to watch."

"Why ask when I already know the answer's yes?" Noctis asked as he selected the play option. It was nice to be able to watch it on the television. Prompto put up with a lot, but apparently he drew the line at Noctis binge watching soap operas on the television while he was in the apartment, meaning Noctis had to watch on the computer in his room, which was fine, but this was way better.

The theme song for Fisherman's Horizon played as well as the opening credits. Noctis still wasn't sure what everyone's names were and what was really going on, but Gladiolus was nice enough to try to explain everything to him, which helped immensely. The episode established the tone of the season's story arc, which was that a major national annual fishing competition the little fishing village the show was set in (the titular Fisherman's Horizon), was approaching and the protagonist intended to enter in order to impress his love interest who, unknown to him, was already head over heels in love with him. The protagonist's rival was also entering with the same goal in mind.

Classic story with a fishing flavor to it. Noctis ate it up. He was easy to win over on something if fishing was somehow involved with it. It was a technique that all of his friends had used on him at least once, including the time Gladiolus somehow managed to convince him to go camping just outside of Insomnia by promising him he could do some late night ocean fishing.

"Shouldn't Prompto be back by now?" Gladiolus asked after the episode ended.

"He sent a text earlier. Said he was being held up."

"By what?"

"Didn't say. Just that he'll be back late."

They paused at the beginning of the second episode to finish eating the rest of their noodles as well as get some drinks out of the refrigerator. It turned out that Cup Noodles were best when hot, so they decided to simply finish off the rest of their food before returning to their show. Noctis drank down the leftover soup from his first cup as they waited the required couple minutes for the noodles to cook. They sat down side by side on the dining table to eat.

Ignis would probably have a heart attack if he saw how much salt they were ingesting.

After finishing his second cup, Noctis found he was still a bit hungry. He had barely eaten lunch as his schedule had been packed tight despite the lack of Ignis. He had classes as well as some of the duties as prince that he couldn't get out of, such as attending the opening of a new department store and visiting a school to the delight of the young students there. As a result, his lunch consisted of half a sandwich and a bag of chips from his school cafeteria and he was starving. Without a word, he reached over with his chopsticks to steal some noodles right out of Gladiolus' third cup of noodles.

"You could have just asked," Gladiolus grumbled.

"You would have said no," Noctis pointed out.

"Yeah," Gladiolus conceded with a sage nod. "I would have." He passed the half empty cup to Noctis. "Fine, you can have the rest of this, but the last one's mine."

"The sacrifices you make for me are appreciated."

They settled back onto the couch with their drinks, or, more accurately, Gladiolus did, spreading himself across the entire thing like he had before. Noctis glared at him and told him to move, which he refused to do. Being quite tired of Gladiolus stealing his entire couch from him every time he came over, Noctis did the only thing he could do: sprawl himself over Gladiolus' body. When his Shield raised a protest, Noctis told him that was the consequence of his greed.

Noctis made a show of making himself comfortable, squirming around until he found a comfortable position using his friend's chest as a pillow. Gladiolus snorted and used a hand to push some stray strands of black hair out of his face, telling him to shift down a little. He did, but only because he didn't want Gladiolus breathing into his hair.

They could finally get back to their soap opera as Noctis reached over, just barely reaching his game controller, to hit the button to unpause the episode, which had been waiting patiently for them for about half an hour.

They made it through the second episode of Fisherman's Horizon and were about a quarter of the way through the third one when the sound of the lock on the apartment door turning could be heard. Neither of them paid it any heed as the door opened, letting the crisp, cool night air in as well as one Prompto Argentum, who closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a second to shudder, as it was a little too cold to be wearing sleeveless shirts at this time of night at this time of year.

"Hey Noct," he said, then when he noticed there was a guest, added, "Gladio."

Gladiolus managed to give him something that sort of resembled a wave, but other than that, there was no acknowledgement to his arrival.

"Sorry I'm home late," Prompto continued as he kicked off his boots. "Rough day. I had to-" he stopped himself as he looked back at the couch and only then did it seem to fully register to him that Noctis was lying on top of Gladiolus sipping an energy drink and both of them were fully glued to the television. And then he saw what was on the television and let out a pained noise. "Aaaand you guys don't care. Alright, I see how it is." He left them to watch as he went to the kitchen, rummaging through both the pantry and the refrigerator, pulling out some ingredients as well as a pan to cook them in. The smells of cooking filled the apartment, but as they had eaten their fill on Cup Noodle, it didn't register to either Noctis or Gladiolus at all. It wasn't long until Prompto scooped some rice with peppered daggerquill breast onto a plate, dropped the pan into the sink, filled it with water, and got himself utensils and a drink. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my room."

There was no response as he walked down the hall, opened the door to his room, and disappeared inside.

* * *

A couple more hours passed and by then, Noctis and Gladiolus had made it through half of season two of Fisherman's Horizon. They would have continued watching, but Noctis' attention was waning. There was only so much he could watch in a single sitting.

"You're about to nod off," Gladiolus said, reaching for the remote on the coffee table to turn the television off. Noctis didn't even try to deny it. He absolutely was nodding off and given his affinity for sleep, it was kind of surprising he was able to get through a whopping six episodes. At some point during episode four, Prompto had come back out to wash the pan and his dirty dishes, only shaking his head when he saw that the two of them hadn't moved from their spot and were _still_ watching before retreating back into the safety of his room.

"I think I'm done for tonight," Noctis muttered absently. While in his opinion, sleep always sounded like a good idea, it sounded like an extra good idea at that moment. "What time is it anyway?"

"Two in the morning," Gladiolus answered, and Noctis felt a little better about having to admit he was tired. Anyone would be if they had just watched six hours of a show into the late night. He asked if Iris would be worried and Gladiolus dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand. He had already let her know where he was. "Anyway, time for you to get up and go to bed."

"Don't wanna," Noctis replied, relaxing his body and hoping he became a mass of dead weight. "This is comfy." His eyes fluttered shut. "You're comfy."

"I'm your Shield, not your Pillow," Gladiolus said, but he made no effort to move or push Noctis off of him and instead put an arm around Noctis.

"Stay," Noctis found himself saying as sleep started to overcome him. He knew he was probably going to wake up with all of his limbs still asleep, but at this time of night and in this spot, basking in Gladiolus' warmth, he found that he really couldn't care less. That was going to be Future Noctis' problem.

When Noctis awoke, none of his limbs were asleep. Everything around him was normal and familiar. His room looked the way it always did and his bed was as comfortable as ever. It took a few seconds for him to realize that wasn't right. Everything _shouldn't_ be normal and familiar, because the last thing he remembered was falling asleep in the living area, on top of Gladiolus who was on top of his couch. So what was he doing in his bed? Noctis stretched his limbs and rolled out of bed, shuffling to his door and a few feet down the hall, finding the door to Prompto's room and opening it, only to find his friend fast asleep in bed.

Him being awake before Prompto? Now that was new. Well, it was time to wake the sleepyhead up and make some day plans.

"Prompto?" he asked as he got closer to Prompto's bed until he could reach out and shake his roommate awake. "Prompto, wake up."

Annoyed noises came from Prompto as he stirred and turned to look at Noctis with blurry eyes. "Noct?" Prompto sat up and looked to his nightstand to find his glasses. "Noct, it's four in the morning. What is it?"

Four in the morning? Noctis first looked to Prompto's window and noticed there was no sunlight coming in whatsoever. Then he shifted his gaze to the clock sitting on the night stand and sure enough, the digital display read 4:13 AM in bright red numbers.

"Aw shit, sorry," Noctis apologized. "Sorry, I thought, uh. Do you know how I got back into bed?"

Prompto yawned, watching Noctis through bleary and drooping eyes. "I dunno; I was asleep by twelve. You walked back? Sleepwalked? Gladio carried you maybe?" When Noctis didn't reply he affixed him with an annoyed look. "Look, Noct, I'm sorry, but I'm really, really tired right now and I need to be up at eight. Can I go back to sleep now?"

Apologizing again for waking Prompto up at an ungodly hour, Noctis retreated back to his own bed and crawled into it, feeling a bit hurt at Prompto's rejection. It was irrational, of course, and he knew it. He was the one who had woken Prompto up at an awful time for no reason whatsoever, but he couldn't help but feel a bit slighted. Prompto was his friend, his friend who usually made time for him whenever he could, so being rebuked was uncommon and strange. Out of the ordinary.

Noctis was being unreasonable and he knew it. He made a mental note to himself to apologize properly in the morning and closed his eyes, quickly drifting back to sleep.

When he woke up again, it was 10:30 AM and Prompto was long gone.

* * *

Noctis tapped his fingers boredly on the conference room table as he did his best to listen to the man in front of him talk endlessly. Normally, he had Ignis to do this stuff for him, but Ignis was currently preoccupied with a different meeting happening on the other side of the Citadel. The man was a representative of Accordo, from Altissia specifically, and he was here to discuss the arrangement that their respective countries had regarding the ferry service between Altissia and Galdin Quay. Every year, the deal had to be renewed and it was usually just a symbolic meeting. Both sides would meet and talk and they'd agree that it was still a good idea to have boats running between them and shake on it.

Noctis found it to be largely unnecessary. At the very least, he wished that they could extend the deal to every two years instead of one. They'd save a lot in time and travel expenses that way.

He found himself spacing out as the meeting went by and he idly wondered why, if they had to do this, they could just say "So, keep the boats running?" "Yes." "Okay, cool," to each other and be done with it. The representative was saying unnecessary lip service words like "cooperation" and "maintaining good relations."

"Do we have a deal?" the man asked.

Noctis blinked sleep out of his eyes. "Sorry, what?"

"Do we have a deal, Prince Noctis?" the man repeated.

"Uh, yeah," Noctis replied and the diplomat held out an arm for a shake.

"Excellent," said the man as Noctis shook his arm and passed him a document to sign. "For the next year, Lucis will have sole responsibility of maintaining the ferry and shoulder all the costs associated with running it."

Noctis had just finished dotting the i's on his name when he looked up. "Wait, what?" But the Altissian representative was already out the door. Slightly panicked, Noctis took out his phone and dialed Ignis' number. And when Ignis answered, Noctis quickly told him what happened.

"You agreed to _what!?_ " Ignis shouted, and Noctis had to momentarily take the phone away from his ear due to the sheer volume. When he moved it back, he could hear Ignis sigh and calm down. "No, no, it's not your fault, Noct. It was that damn Marcello. He's been trying to get us to agree to this for years and he probably saw his chance when he noticed you weren't paying attention."

Despite Ignis' words, Noctis knew this was his fault. If he had just been paying attention like he was supposed to, he would have caught it and this wouldn't have happened in the first place.

"Worry not, Noct," Ignis said and Noctis couldn't help but notice that he sounded tired. Harried. Perhaps even resigned. "I will fix this."

Ignis ended the call and Noctis buried his face in his hands. That wasn't supposed to happen. He's the Crown Prince of Lucis and he was expected to be the king someday, a day that may be approaching sooner than he thought. Noctis wasn't completely blind to the world. He knew his father's health was beginning to falter. The time that Noctis would have to ascend to the throne and take up the responsibilities Regis would leave behind was approaching. He didn't know when it would get there. In five years? Ten? The very next day? Regardless, it would come, no matter how much he desperately wished it never would. He wanted life to stay as it was now: when his worst worries were getting his homework done on time and he could stay up late at night watching shitty soap operas with Gladiolus. It was an immature thing to want, like a child who wished the day would never end so that they didn't have to go to bed at night. He was the Crown Prince of Lucis, but more often than not, Noctis felt completely helpless.

The Lucis Caelum line's powerful magic could manipulate space, but it was nothing compared to the almighty force that was time. Time marched ever forward, no matter what anyone or anything said about it.

Taking a deep breath, Noctis stood and exited the conference room, still feeling absolutely awful about his frankly, embarrassing mistake. He was a terrible prince and he knew it. What kind of king could he be for his people?

* * *

A few hours later, Noctis recieved a text from Ignis saying that the problem of the one sided ferry deal had been "taken care of," and Noctis didn't dare ask for any clarification on what that meant. He didn't know how Ignis was able to produce results so quickly and he preferred to remain that way. There were things about his advisor that Noctis knew were probably best kept a mystery.

It was the first time the four of them could get together in a while, having dinner with the Amicitias. It was Iris' birthday and she was having two celebrations. She had already had her party with her friends from school earlier in the week. This one was a small, private party with close family and friends. Noctis was glad for it. Even though he had difficulty expressing it sometimes (all the time), Iris was always good company and when they were younger, she had been his playmate despite the five year age gap between them.

Noctis greeted Jared, who bowed to him as he opened the door to the Amicitia residence. He said hello to Talcott, who looked up at him with adoring eyes. Talcott was different from the other admirers Noctis would see on the street. Talcott knew the real Noctis Lucis Caelum, the Noctis who could fall asleep at will and stayed up late playing video games. Talcott knew about all of his flaws and still liked him despite of them. Talcott directed him to the living room where the birthday girl was chatting up her brother and a few other attendees like Monica, Dustin, and Cor.

"Noct!" she beamed happily as she jumped up to hug him. She pulled him close and Noctis had the wind squeezed out of him, for Amicitias give the most powerful hugs on the planet.

"Happy birthday, Iris," he managed to squeak out. "But uh, could you let me go? You're kind of crushing your present." She immediately let him go and looked down at his hands, which were holding a now lopsided gift, looking embarrassed. "Don't worry," Noctis reassured her. "It's not fragile." Her face lit right back up as she took it and placed it on the table where a few other gifts were waiting for her.

Prompto arrived next, announcing his presence with a bout of birthday cheer. He was given the same treatment as Noctis, but he managed to save his present from being compressed by lifting it above his head at the last second. Ignis was the last to arrive, smiling and kind despite the obvious exhaustion that sounded in his voice and tinged his features.

The party was a simple affair, mostly just chatting with a few basic party games thrown in. Everyone settled down to watch an animated moogle movie, which was surprisingly entertaining for adults despite its clear kid friendly focus. Cake was served as Iris was finally allowed to open her presents.

"Noct," she said when she got to his present, ripping the wrapping paper and opening the now-misshapen box. "This is amazing!" Inside the box was red designer purse along with a set of pins featuring her beloved moogles. "Oh, I can't wait to use these!" She set them aside to open her next gift.

An hour later, the party was beginning to wind down. Guests started to leave one by one until all that was left were Noctis, Ignis, and Prompto, and they were just about ready to call it a night themselves.

"Prompto, let's go," Noctis said.

"Just a minute!" Prompto called back, wanting to finish his conversation with Ignis and take a few last pictures for the night.

As Noctis waited, he felt a hand drop onto his shoulder. The size and weight of it meant that it could only be one person: Gladiolus.

"Thanks for coming tonight," Gladiolus said. "It means a lot to her that you were able to be here."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Noctis replied. Iris was important to him, just as important as the other people he held dear. "And, uh, thanks to you too. For last night."

"Be more specific."

"For coming over," Noctis clarified. He didn't like spending his evenings alone and normally, he'd have either Prompto or Ignis or both to keep him company, but neither were available last night. "And uh, taking me to bed. That _was_ you, wasn't it?"

Gladiolus nodded in response. "Had to move you, or I wouldn't have been able to go home."

"You could have stayed," Noctis said. "I don't mind. It's nice to hang out with you."

"Your couch _is_ pretty comfy," Gladiolus said. "I'll consider it next time."

Noctis smiled, but was interrupted by Prompto nearly crashing into him, ready to head back to the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like to call this chapter the chapter where things happened offscreen


	6. Five and a Half

> Dear Mr. Scientia,
> 
> We are sending this email to confirm the cancellation of your reservation of two deluxe suites that were reserved from **November 12th** to **November 15th** confirmation order **11292016**. Per our cancellation policy, 10% of the total bill is nonrefundable as a service fee. We regret that you are unable to stay with us and hope that you will consider us again in the future.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> The Galbadia Hotel

Ignis read the email a second time just to be sure he was understanding it correctly. The words didn't change. It very clearly said "confirm the cancellation of your reservation."

No. That couldn't be right. He had done no such thing. Immediately, he reached into the pocket of his blazer and retrieved his phone, looked up the number for the Galbadia Hotel, and dialed, tapping his fingers on his desk as it rang once, twice, three times. When it was answered by a receptionist, he explained there's been a mistake and that he never cancelled the rooms. The receptionist apologized for the confusion, but then explained that the rooms had since been rebooked to another customer and that there were no vacancies left at the hotel on November 12th through the 15th.

This was a problem. A very big problem.

Those rooms were reserved for the Tenebraean diplomats that would be arriving in two months for their visit and it was a high prority to make sure their stay was as pleasant as possible. And now, the most fundamental part of the visit, their lodgings, was thrown completely out the window. They could not risk this trade deal going sour: it was simply far too important for both the economy and for foreign relations.

He would have to find a solution to this immediately, and that warranted dropping the rest of his morning tasks to deal with it. Before he did, however, he stood up from his desk and headed for the miniature refrigerator that sat near the coffee machine. Opening it, he saw six cans of Ebony and pulled one out, popping the tab before returning to his seat.

"It's going to be one of those days, Sir?" Serafina asked from her desk.

Ignis replied by taking a sip from the Ebony can, then one from his usual cup of morning coffee and that was all the answer she needed.

Two cans of Ebony later, and the big problem had gotten even bigger. Both the Baron and Alexandria hotels were also fully booked. That was the three top hotels in Insomnia all at full capacity at the same time. The exact time that the Tenebraean diplomats were visiting.

That meant, well, it meant they'd have to figure something else out. Ignis paced in front of his desk ("Sir, you will wear a hole in the floor if you keep that up. Please sit back down.") as he wracked his brain for a solution. There were a few guest rooms in the Citadel, but he didn't know if they were going to be free at the time of visit. A quick call to the Citadel's housekeeping department confirmed that no, they were not. The rooms were already spoken for by a group of Accordan officials that would be there at the same time.

Why in the world were both Accordo and Tenebrae visiting Insomnia at the same time? And why had nobody told him about this?

Ignis got a third can of Ebony.

A phone rang and Serafina answered it. From her expression, Ignis could already tell that this was something he didn't want to hear. "I have bad news, Sir. The Duscae Farmers Relief Effort is overbudget and short on supplies."

_How!?_

Ignis opened the can in his hand and chugged the entire thing in one go, crushing the empty can in his fist and tossing it into the recycling bin with perfect accuracy.

"Serafina, can you handle things for a while?"

"Yes, Sir. I will be fine for a few hours."

"Very good. Call me if you need help."

As soon as Ignis was out of his office door, he ran down the hallway and as he did, the Citadel's hallways suddenly seemed much longer than he remembered, each door spaced impossibly apart. He muttered out quick apologies as he sped by workers, using all of his finely honed agility to avoid colliding with anything or anyone.

"Iggy?" a familiar voice said, and he ignored it. The voice, however, refused to be ignored and suddenly, there was a Gladiolus Amicitia standing smack dab in the middle of the hallway, clearly intending to intercept him. Ignis skidded to a stop in front of him. "Iggy, the hell is going on?"

Ignis glared at him.

"Are you still mad at me?" Gladiolus asked. "Look, I'm sorry about the Iifa thing-"

"Gladio," Ignis interrupted, keeping his voice as controlled as he could. "This has nothing to do with you, I am dealing with some major problems right now and I have a subordinate who owes me some answers. So if you would _kindly_ move, I would very much appreciate it."

Gladiolus stepped aside because he knew his limits and when to back off.

Taking off again, it was only a short sprint to the door that led to the office of the subordinate in question...only to find she wasn't there. The other workers in the office explained that Felicia was heading to Duscae to check on the relief effort and that nobody was able to reach her. She probably would not be back for several days.

Ignis would have wondered how his day would get any worse, but he didn't want to curse himself. For once, he wished he was going to a meeting, because it meant that he didn't have to think about what a huge mess things had suddenly turned into for a while. Alas, his schedule was woefully meeting free, which meant he had no reprieve.

A few hours and two more cans of Ebony later, Ignis accepted that there was no choice but to put the Tenebraean diplomats in the Golden Saucer hotel. The Golden Saucer was an expensive hotel with fancy accommodations, but it was not what he would call high class, for it wasn't just a hotel, it was also a casino, chocobo race track, and amusement park all in one. It wasn't a place to put foreign dignitaries. It was a place where the wealthy, the delusional, and especially those who were both wealthy and delusional went to throw their money away.

It was still September and this visit was already going to be a disaster.

As for the relief effort, Ignis ended up having to divert money from other projects to make up for deficit, much to the ire of those who were working on those projects. He didn't blame them one bit for being angry. Felicia would have a lot to answer for when she returned.

He didn't really consider either issue resolved, but it was the best he could do with his current information and resources. And all of this had put the work that was scheduled to be done that day woefully behind. He would have to stay late to finish it. Serafina had done what she could, but as she was only his secretary, her authority could only go so far.

For the first time in a long, long while, Ignis took a break, seeking shelter in an empty conference room with his last can of Ebony. It's large, empty, and silent, and if he sat still in one of the chairs at the big, long wooden rectangular table, he could hear himself think.

It was not the best decision.

Being left alone with his thoughts means being left with his worries and stress. It means being left with the doubts and insecurities and fears that he kept tightly locked away deep within himself.

The day's events would not reflect well on him for sure.

It wasn't that Ignis was worried for his reputation for the sake of his ego. He had never derived any sense of self satisfaction from fame. He worried because he didn't want to be useless. He didn't want to one day find himself dismissed and replaced, for a life of loyal subservience to his king, prince, and country was the only one he knew. And as such, he strove for perfection in everything he did in some combination of neuroticism and genuine affection for the people and country he cared deeply about.

It was exhausting. And when things spiraled out of control like how they did just now he dealt with it...rather poorly.

Ignis' gaze drifted to the side, out one of the tall windows of the conference room and to the world outside of the Citadel. The buildings of Insomnia made for a beautiful cityscape, but his eyes were drawn to the clear and bright blue sky. To the sea surrounding the Crown City and to the bridge he could just barely made out that led out of Insomnia, out of Cavaugh and into the dusty Leide region. The sky glittered with the magic of the Wall, reminding him that the open skies were not so open.

The door handle clicked and opened, but he didn't hear it. He didn't hear it close, either. What Ignis did hear was the one who opened it.

"Oh, hi Iggy. Didn't expect to find you here."

Ignis turned his head back to the confines of the Citadel as the chair beside his was pulled aside and Prompto Argentum sat down in it. "Hello, Prompto," he said, giving his friend the best smile he could manage. It evidently wasn't very good, because Prompto's face immediately turned to one of concern.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Prompto asked, squinting his eyes as if he were attempting to scrutinize Ignis' face. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you look awful."

Despite everything, Ignis couldn't help but laugh, even though he knew it sounded hollow and fake. "I'm sure I do. I certainly feel it." His hand went for his Ebony, closing around it and lifting it up to his lips for a sip.

Prompto frowned at him. "How many of those have you had today?" The frown deepened when Ignis didn't answer him and he reached over to take the can away from him. "Ignis, if you don't tell me I'm just gonna ask your secretary."

"This is my sixth one," Ignis immediately admitted, cowed by the threat of Prompto going around him to ask his secretary about his awful stress responses. Sure, he _could_ have tried to lie about it, but Prompto is far more perceptive than he tends to let on. Not only that, the thought of lying to him left a bitter taste in Ignis' mouth. Not the good kind of bitter, like coffee. The foul and disgusting kind. "Today has been quite trying." And with that statement, it was as if Ignis had given up any ability he had to pretend he had any semblance of strength left in him as he slumped over and hit his forehead on the finished mahogany table with a very audible _thud_.

A comforting hand patted the back of his neck and it was the most gentle and relaxing touch in the world. Ignis dared to look up and saw Prompto patting him with one hand and drinking the rest of his Ebony with the other. He didn't have the willpower or desire to even glare at him for it.

"Tell you what," Prompto said as he finished the last drop of Ebony with a satisfied sigh. "I got patrol in like, ten minutes, but I get off at six. The two of us can just hang out tonight."

"Wouldn't you rather be with Noct?" Ignis asked as Prompto tossed the Ebony can at the nearest recycling bin and missed. Prompto let out a disappointed noise and went to pick it up and drop it in the bin.

"Nah, it's okay," Prompto said as he reached into his vest to find his phone. "Noct can do without me for a day." And there was something in his voice that Ignis found strange, but he chose not to ask about it. He was in no position to ask Prompto about anything when he was struggling, and failing, to not buckle under stress at that very moment. He watched as Prompto stared intently at his phone sending, what Ignis assumed, was a text message to Noctis telling him that he wouldn't be back until late. "There we go, all set, I'll come pick you up at 6:15." With one last reassuring pat, Prompto bid him goodbye and left the room. Ignis could hear him pick up speed outside, presumably to make it to patrol on time.

He stayed slumped over the table, just a little while longer, resting his head on his arms and mused over the fact that Prompto had not even given him the chance to refuse the outing.

* * *

"Good evening, Crownsguard Argentum," Serafina's voice said.

"You can just call me Prompto," Prompto said with a smile. "We're all friends here."

Serafina smiled back at him. "We are. Please call me Sera then." She turned to look at her boss, who was pretending to be absorbed in the paperwork on his desk, but was most definitely listening. "That goes for you, too. Sir."

Ignis looked up from his papers. "In that case, Sera," he said, and he had to consciously stop himself from using her full name like he always did. "Ignis is just fine."

"Call him Iggy," he heard Prompto whisper to her, then smiled as he approached Ignis' desk. "You ready to go?"

"Not really," Ignis admitted, looking back down at his desk and all he could see was work. Work that he _should_ be staying to finish. "However, I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"Nope!" Prompto grinned, but immediately dropped it, crossing his arms a bit self consciously. "Uh, but seriously, if you don't wanna go, we don't have to."

Ignis wanted to go. He absolutely would love nothing more than to just drop everything and leave for the night, but the discipline and sense of responsibility he felt was telling him to stay. Duty should always come first. His own wants and needs were irrelevant.

"Ignis?" Prompto asked, waiting anxiously for an answer. "Do you want to stay here?"

"No," Ignis found himself saying before he could think. "I'd like nothing more than to get out of here." Over Prompto's shoulder, he could see Serafina mouthing what he was fairly sure were the words _oh thank the gods_. As for Prompto himself, he immediately lit up, full of energy, and for a moment, Ignis thought he was going to start dancing around his desk. Briefly, he considered staying just a few minutes more to tidy up his desk before leaving, but he found that he really could not stand to be in his office any longer.

He and Serafina waved goodbye to each other on the way out.

"Prompto," Ignis asked as they waited for the elevator to take them down. "What did you have in mind for tonight?"

At the question, Prompto laughed nervously. "Well, I didn't really have time to think about it. I had patrol right after I talked to you so I had to concentrate on that, and right after that I came to get you and here we are." That answer didn't surprise Ignis in the least. He would have been shocked if Prompto had somehow managed to plan a night out with so little time.

"I don't mind going back to the apartment," Ignis said, but at the suggestion, Prompto shook his head vigorously and waved a finger in his face.

"Absolutely not," he said. The sound of a bell ringing told them that the elevator had finally arrived and as they got in, Prompto slammed the button for the ground floor. "No work. Work is banned. Noct is work for you, and he's at home right now, so we can't go there."

"I don't see Noct as merely work," Ignis pointed out, a bit miffed at the implication that the prince was only a job to him.

"That's not what I mean," Prompto said as the elevator zipped downwards. The great thing about the Citadel elevators was they were fast. So fast, that sometimes, a person's ears could pop just from how quickly the elevation changed. "I mean, if we go back, you're going to go into advisor mode and start taking care of him. And me. And if Gladio's there, him too. That is like, the _exact opposite_ of the goal here."

The next question, naturally, was what was the goal and Ignis asked as much.

"A fun, relaxing night for you!" Prompto declared as the elevator slowed to a stop. The doors slid open as some Kingsglaive that were waiting to get in stepped back to let them out. Prompto took a moment to wave at them and they waved back before getting in. "You're always doing so much for me- I mean, for us. And you deserve a break every now and then, don't you think?"

Ignis wasn't sure what he thought.

"Anyway, you really looked like you needed it, considering you drank six cans of Ebony in like six hours."

"Five and a half. You drank what remained of the last one."

Rush hour was once again in full swing, which meant the more appealing option was to take the subways to get around. Prompto was virtually unnoticed despite his Crownsguard fatigues, scanning his pass and passing through the gates like he did every day. Ignis could only hope that one day he would be so lucky, and once again, he heard the whispers of crown citizens all around him as he passed through the turnstile.

Prompto heard them too. "Is it always like this for you?"

Ignis nodded. "I take the subway several times a week. I don't understand why it's such a shock to them every time I do."

Prompto looked thoughtful as they rode the train.

* * *

"Wow, Iggy, your place is nice," Prompto said as he stepped into the immaculate apartment. " _Way_ nicer than Noct's." He couldn't help but explore a little, admiring the art and furniture. "Ooh, is this by Relm? Definitely looks like her style." But before Ignis could answer, Prompto was already in his kitchen. "Alright, go sit down and watch TV or something. I'm going to make you something."

He said it with such certainty that Ignis found he had no choice but to obey, sitting down on his rarely used couch, reaching for his rarely used remote, and turning on his rarely used television. He flipped through the channels until he decided to stop on a nature documentary detailing the complex social structure of the simple Sabertusk. Behind him, he could hear the sound of pans shifting, his stove being turned on, and eventually, the sound of food being sizzled. Ignis tried to ignore Prompto cooking, but his sense of smell was too sharp. He knew what he was smelling was fish and if he were to guess, he was certain that Prompto was making fried fish of some kind.

It smelled pretty good, and by the time Prompto called him over to try it, he was getting impatient to take a bite. When Prompto set the plate down in front of him, Ignis took the time to examine it. It was the perfect shade of golden yellow, and an experimental poke with a fork told him it had the right amount of flakiness and consistency. Finally, he tried it, using his fork to cut a small piece to try. Prompto watched him the entire time, looking nervous and swallowing as he watched Ignis try it.

"Prompto this is..." Ignis paused and Prompto looked like he was about to die. He didn't mean to put his friend through agony, he was simply just trying to find the right word. "...it's wonderful."

"Really? You're not just saying that?" Prompto asked and he looked like he was on the verge of tears when Ignis nodded. "Oh my god, Iggy, you have no idea how much I've been practicing. Man, do you know how much money I've saved ever since I started cooking? The answer is a lot. So much, and it's actually kind of fun and..."

Ignis let Prompto babble on as he continued to eat, watching him in amusement. While he did think this fried fish was delicious, the truth was he would have been happy even if it had tasted awful. What he really cared about was the fact that Prompto had tried to do something nice for him. And succeeded wonderfully. By the time he's finished the last bite and washed it all down with a drink, Prompto had finally finished his rambling.

"What about you?" Ignis asked. "Did you not make some for yourself?"

"I already ate," Prompto said, giving a wave with one hand and taking the dirty dishes with the other and rinsing them in the sink. "You have a dishwasher? You're so lucky." Prompto loaded the dishes into the dishwasher before heading to the couch. The moment he sat down, he out a gasp and stood right back up. He pointed just below the television at a black box sitting on the hardwood floor. "I didn't know you played games, Ignis."

Ignis followed his finger down to the game console which had a single controller and a single game lying next to it. Ah, yes. That. He had forgotten he still had that. "Not quite. Noct gave that to me last month and said I'm not allowed to return it until I finish the game." Prompto knelt down next to the console, noting that it was from the "previous generation" and saw the title of the game, _Assassin's Creed._ "I haven't had any time to even look at it."

Actually, he hadn't planned on looking at it at all.

"Then I guess we found what we're doing tonight," Prompto said as he picked up the wires to hook the console up to the television and plug the power cable into a nearby outlet. He grabbed the remote from the coffee table and changed it to input mode, turning the console on, inserting the game disc and grabbing the controller. "It's only one player, but that doesn't mean we can't both enjoy it."

The opening cinematics told Ignis that the game was, in a word, ridiculous. A man kidnapped by some sort of shady corporation was being forced into a machine so that he could relive the "genetic memories" of his distant ancestor. Ignis was quite sure that neither genetics or memories worked that way, to which Prompto agreed that yeah it was dumb. But that was okay, because nobody cared about this stuff. It got better once the guy was in the machine.

And he was right. Once the whiny kidnapped man was in the machine, everything shifted gears to what Ignis recognized as a pretty well researched and good rendition of one of the historic societies that existed between the fall of Solheim and the rise of Lucis, taking place in what was now the Leide region. The game revealed its _real_ protagonist, an assassin of historic times.

Now _this_ was interesting.

"You know," Prompto said as they watched the cinematics unfold. "it's nice that I get to sit and watch these with someone. Usually Noct just skips all the cutscenes. It's no fun that way."

Ignis watched as the protagonist was reprimanded by his master for his poor discipline that had gotten a colleague killed. Well, that's what he got for being such a fool.

The gameplay started in earnest as Prompto guided the protagonist across the game world to the first objective and Ignis had _plenty_ to say about the history of the game's setting and frequent criticism of the protagonist's behavior and techniques.

"He gets better," Prompto promised. An hour later, Prompto had finished the first mission and Ignis understood the basics of the game in terms of both gameplay and story. Without warning, Prompto held out the controller to him. "Wanna try?"

It took some time for Ignis to get a handle of the controls, and he felt inept as the protagonist swung his weapons at nothing and sometimes refused to climb an obstacle. ("Not your fault," Prompto had said. "The game's kind of finicky like that.") But once he did get comfortable with it, the next thing he knew, Ignis had the protagonist riding on chocobo back to the next city to start the next objective, where the brother of the slain assassin, who lost an arm due to the protagonist's foolhardy actions, treated the protagonist with equal parts disdain and sarcasm.

"I like him," Ignis said.

"I thought you would," Prompto replied.

It took two hours and many, many tries, but Ignis finally managed to complete the mission, slay the target, and not die in the process of running away.

It felt...extremely rewarding.

"Great job!" Prompto cheered, giving Ignis a celebratory clasp on the shoulder. "Took me a lot longer when I played this for the first time." His eyes caught a nearby clock. "Oh shoot, it's late. I better head back." He stood up and stretched out his limbs, giving a contented sigh as his body moved after three hours of being seated on the couch. "Was a lot of fun, Iggy."

Ignis couldn't help but agree. "It was. We should do this again sometime."

"Absolutely," Prompto said as they both walked to the door. "I'll bring over something we can both play next time. See you tomorrow." With a wink and a smile, he was out the door. Ignis headed back over to the television to turn off the game console before taking his nightly shower before bed.

Except, when he got into bed, he found he couldn't sleep, his mind too busy thinking about how nice the evening was and how he wished Prompto didn't have to leave.

* * *

The next day, it was back to business as usual. Ignis was just getting out of a meeting and in the middle of sending a text message to Prompto when a frantic Noctis called him, saying he had messed up big time on the ferry deal with the Altissian diplomat. Ignis yelled at him, then immediately regretted it. He was tired and irritated and still not happy about the previous day's problems and he had taken out his anger on Noctis, who's only real mistake was being inexperienced in the art of negotiation.

He promised to fix it.

It took a few hours for him to find the Altissian diplomat. He had waited for him in a dark and quiet part of the Citadel as the man was passing by, looking pleased with himself no doubt for tricking the Crown Prince of Lucis into an unfair deal.

Nobody did that to his prince and got away with it.

"Hello, Marcello," Ignis said as soon as the man shuffled past him. Marcello stopped dead in his tracks and didn't dare to turn around. "You and I, we need to _talk._ "

Fifteen minutes later, Ignis cheerfully sent Noctis a text message saying the problem had been "taken care of," as he got into the Citadel elevator with a neatly wrapped present under his arm.

He had a birthday party to attend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Malik would absolutely be Ignis' favorite Assassin's Creed character and you know it.
> 
> This chapter inspired by Noct insisting that Ignis would like AC if he tried it in the beginning of the Assassin's Festival.


	7. Gladio's Big Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day late due to being busy and this chapter being kinda hard to craft.
> 
> Also I'm plagued with a new fanfic idea send help.

Gladiolus Amicitia had a dilemma.

That dilemma was about five feet and nine inches in height with black hair and blue eyes. His dilemma was also fast asleep right on top of him. The dilemma was the Crown Prince of Lucis and his name was Noctis Lucis Caelum.

All things considered, there were worse positions to be in than sandwiched between the prince he was sworn to protect and said prince's inexplicably comfortable couch. It was kind of nice, actually. He could fall asleep like this, really, he could. What was there to stop him? Iris knew where he was. Prompto was probably asleep, and if he wasn't, Gladiolus highly doubted he would have done anything anyway. And Ignis wasn't there to chide them about sleeping in a proper bed.

The only thing stopping Gladiolus was himself.

He wondered what he was doing, lying on his back and cradling a sleeping Noctis in his arm. Like he had said earlier, his title was King's Shield, not King's Pillow. By all accounts, this should be weird and awkward. Except it wasn't, and _that_ was what he found weird and awkward about the whole situation. No matter how good friends they were, guys usually didn't fall asleep on other guys and be totally okay with it.

About fifteen minutes passed before Gladiolus remembered who it was that was sleeping on him. Noctis Lucis Caelum, the man who slept like the dead. The dilemma wasn't actually a dilemma. All Gladiolus needed to do was move and the chances of Noctis waking from it were basically zero. So he did it. Gladiolus sat up and gently rolled Noctis off him as he simultaneously slipped off the couch, the prince hitting the cushions of the couch without so much as a sound. Honestly, one could easily mistake Noctis for a corpse sometimes. He slipped his arms behind Noctis' back and his knees and carried the slumbering prince down the hall and to his room, using his elbow to open the door and carefully place him on the bed.

Noctis stirred, but did not wake.

Gladiolus was now free to go. All he needed to do was exit the apartment and remember to lock the door behind him. He turned around to leave, but paused when he heard the sound of Noctis shifting on the bed. A look back told him that he was still asleep, but he had curled up on himself a bit. Was he cold? Now, he knew that Noctis wasn't going to freeze to death or wake up sick, but the idea of leaving him like that made Gladiolus feel guilty, so he turned around for a second time and walked back to the bed. Carefully, he was able to pull the blanket out from underneath Noctis' body and drag it over him. Noctis responded by snuggling himself into his pillow and without thinking, Gladiolus reached over to run his hand through the prince's black hair affectionately.

After a few seconds, he pulled it back quickly. What was he doing? He had no idea. What he did know was that he needed to leave. Immediately. Gladiolus walked out of the apartment as quickly as he dared and let out a sigh of relief when he made it outside into the cold open air of freedom. He started to head towards his car before remembering he needed to lock the door and went back, cursing as he fumbled with the key only to realize he was using the wrong one. Once he managed to lock it properly, he could finally, actually leave.

Even after midnight, Insomnia's streets were still alive, the headlights of cars shining in the darkness like many pairs of eyes. Gladiolus was thankful that he drove. Concentrating on driving was just what he needed to take his mind off his own weird behavior in Noctis' apartment. Once they properly bonded years ago, he had always treated Noctis as a friend. Not as his best friend in the world like Prompto, or something akin to a younger brother like Ignis did, but something that felt more like the kid who protected his weaker friends from bullies at school. They were close, but their relationship as royalty and Shield put something between them that was like a door: something that both separated and connected them at the same time. And now it felt like someone had opened that door and made Gladiolus stick his hand through it.

As much as he tried to think of it as some faceless person or an invisible force, he knew that person was himself.

This was something he needed to stop, for a multitude of reasons. He could name three off the top of his head and he was sure if he thought about it, he could come up with a steady stream of more.

The most important reason, though, was clearly the fact that he wasn't into men. He knew Ignis swung both ways thanks to his friend's own troubled dating history. (Ignis was quite possibly the only person in the world who had a worse love life than Gladiolus himself.) He had his suspicions about Prompto. But himself? He dated women exclusively. There was just no reason that he'd suddenly be interested in guys.

Right?

As he made it home, Gladiolus realized that drive _hadn't_ taken his mind off the peculiar events of the night and he was perhaps naive to hope it would. He decided to pin the cause of everything on just being tired and headed straight for bed.

The next day, he saw Noctis at Iris' birthday party. These days, it was rare to see a genuine smile out of him, but when Iris bounded up to him and captured him in a hug, Gladiolus saw one. He saw happiness and affection in Noctis' face even as he struggled to breathe in his sister's iron grip.

Noctis was always good to Iris. He always treated her well, even when they were kids and kids Noctis' age were still crying about cooties. Even after Iris lets him go, Noctis was still smiling. Smiling as he went to say hello to Cor and Monica.

It's a nice smile, and Gladiolus found it hard to take his eyes off it. He tried his best to not stare, busying himself by talking to the other guests and with being a good host. He couldn't leave everything to Jared, after all. But as the night went on and the guests started to leave, he found himself running out of distractions and his attention wandering back to Noctis.

Noctis called out to Prompto, telling him it was time to leave, and Gladiolus felt like he had to say _something_. Anything that could possibly help him shed this worrying fixation on Noctis. So when Prompto insisted on spending a few more minutes talking to Ignis, Gladiolus saw his chance. He could talk to Noctis and hopefully clear his head.

Instead what he ended up saying was some pathetic thanks for coming and how much Iris appreciated it. He chickened out. Gladiolus couldn't remember the last time he chickened out of _anything_.

This was becoming a problem.

* * *

The next day went by normally. He did all of his training and duties without incident. He got Prompto to help him with positioning training. In retrospect, he could have been clearer with his texts. He steered clear of Ignis, partially because Prompto told him that Ignis could do with not being bothered for a while and after the previous day's incident, Gladiolus was more than happy to give him some space.

He was alone for the rest of the day. He wasn't going to bother Ignis unless necessary and Prompto was busy with school. Iris had homework she needed to do. As for Noctis? He didn't know what Noctis was up to and Gladiolus didn't feel like seeing him that day.

Some would call it avoidance. They would be right.

Gladiolus found himself in a part of town he visited rarely. He didn't want to run into any other Crownsguard or Kingsglaive that night and he went into the first nightclub he saw. Maybe some drinks would help pass the time and he could see what kind of women frequented the place. He could dance with a few of them and probably walk out with a couple phone numbers scrawled on napkins.

The nightclub seemed small and unassuming on the outside, but the inside was anything but. It was large and open with low lighting and loud music with a steady beat playing. Patrons moved to the beat on the dance floor, sat at booths, stood along the walls, and sat at the bar.

The bar was naturally his first destination, taking a seat on a free stool and ordering a strong drink from the bartender, one of the house specialties. When the glass was placed in front of him, he picked it up and began with a modest sip. Not bad. His eyes wandered to a sign posted behind the bar listing the prices and he found them to be pretty reasonable.

"Hey," said a voice beside him. Gladiolus put down his drink and turned to face it, coming face to face with a young man he had never seen before. He looked to be a couple years younger than him, probably around twenty or twenty-one. He was short with a thin build, with pale skin, shoulder length black hair, and deep blue eyes. Well, one deep blue eye, anyway. The other was covered by black bangs. His ears were pierced and he was dressed in casual clothes for a night out clubbing. When he didn't get a response, the young man continued. "Haven't seen you here before. You new here?"

"Yeah," Gladiolus said. "I don't come by this part of the city often. Thought I'd try something new."

"Thought so," the man said. "Think I'd remember seeing a guy like you around. Welcome to Curia."

Curia? Ah, right. That was the name of the nightclub. Gladiolus vaguely remembered seeing it over the door of the establishment in neon lights. Before he could say anything, however, he noticed the man scrutinizing him closely with squinted eyes.

"You look familiar though."

Gladiolus gave a chuckle. "Yeah, you might know me. Name's Gladiolus."

"Gladiolus..." the young man said, tapping the side of his head, as if he were trying to place the name until a look of realization dawns on his face. "...Amicitia...? As in the King's Shield?"

"The one and only."

The young man laughed. "I can't believe it. A celebrity, here? And the infamous womanizer of Insomnia?"

Gladiolus grunted. The young man coughed and immediately looked apologetic.

"Sorry, sorry. I know it's probably not true. The only people who call you that are the trashy magazines." The young man picked up his own drink, a bottle of beer, and took a swig. "It's just funny, seeing Insomnia's most eligible bachelor in a place like this."

Taking another drink, Gladiolus asked, "What do you mean by that?"

The young man looked amused. "You don't know what kind of place this is?" Putting down his bottle, he leaned forward and rested his elbow on the bar counter and rested his head in his hand. "Take a look around."

And so Gladiolus did. Everything looked like a normal nightclub to him. People drinking, dancing, and talking. He scanned the area, taking in the mood and decor. He saw two women chatting among themselves, a short line outside of the restroom, two men kissing in a corner-

Wait.

He looked back to the women and okay that wasn't just conversation. They were pretty clearly flirting with each other. There was a sign over the restrooms saying they were gender neutral.

Oh.

This was _that_ kind of nightclub.

Okay.

"Didn't realize this was a gay bar," Gladiolus muttered, but it was good natured. He wasn't particularly bothered by it.

"You don't mind?" the man asked. "Well, as long as you don't freak out if someone comes by to make a move on you."

They sat together in silence for a few seconds, each of them sipping their drinks.

"I'm Cyrus, by the way," the young man said as he finished off his beer and let the bartender take the bottle from him. "You know, they say there's three types of people who come to this place."

Gladiolus finished the rest of his drink in one go and asked what they were, placing the glass back onto the bar counter to be cleaned up.

"One," Cyrus said, drumming his fingers on the counter. "LGBT people. You know, the intended audience of this place. Two, straight women who are just looking to have a good time. And three, straight guys who come here to hit on the straight women." Cyrus paused, apparently contemplating whether or not he should order another drink. He did, sliding the bartender some cash on the counter. "So which one are you, Gladiolus?"

Giving the question some thought, Gladiolus' answer was to order another drink himself. "Don't think I fit in any of those," he finally answered as his new drink was set down in front of him. "I'm just here to have some fun."

It was a bit of a lie, but it wasn't like he had come out specifically to hit on girls. If all he was going to get out of this night was some alcohol in his system, that was perfectly fine with him. It probably wasn't a good thing for him to go looking for a new girlfriend so soon.

Cyrus laughed at that. "You think? You don't know for sure?"

"Gimmie a break here, kid. I'm trying to get drunk."

Cyrus did end up cutting him a break, changing the topic. Gladiolus learned a little bit more about him. He was twenty-one years old, a university student, typical for someone his age, and he was studying architecture. He was single and visited Curia every Friday night.

He was nice to talk to. He carried conversation well and had good taste in alcohol. Cyrus liked reading and he said his dream was to visit all the major cities of Eos to see all of their unique architecture in person. In particular, he wanted to visit Lestallum, Altissia, and Tenebrae, although he wouldn't say no to the chance to go to Gralea either, but with the current political turmoil in Niflheim, that probably wasn't going to be a possibility anytime soon. Before Gladiolus knew it, an hour had gone by, they had traded phone numbers, and he was in for three drinks.

"Hey kid," Gladiolus said to Cyrus. "You dance?"

"Sure do," Cyrus replied, and no sooner had the words left his mouth did Gladiolus grab the boy by the arm and pull him to the dance floor. They weaved their way through the crowd towards the center, music blaring in their ears. Gladiolus never was much of a dancer, but he could keep to a beat and had good footwork due to his training as a fighter. Cyrus, on the other hand, wasn't a liar when he said he could dance, his lithe body twisting and turning to the music, every movement and step deliberate. It was captivating to watch.

The mood in the club had picked up. The DJ up in the music booth was enjoying himself as he bobbed his head to the beat and seamlessly strung songs together. Colorful lights began flashing on and off. At some point, someone had turned on a fog machine and a thin layer of mist blanketed the club. Gladiolus let his cares drift away and they dissipated into nothing like the water vapor surrounding him. He danced among the men, the women, and the ones who didn't belong to either.

At some point, his natural charm came on and he started chatting up the people he saw. They were a bunch just as colorful as the lights overhead, coming from all walks of life in Insomnia, from the simple college student to the middle aged office worker. He didn't get a single phone number from any of the women, but that was fine. None of them offered and he didn't care to ask. He was much too busy having fun to think about getting a date.

He did make a lot of friends in the hours that followed, stopping to offer them drinks or being bought more drinks himself. He sat and watched as drag queens made their way to the stage to perform for the entire club, which cheered them on with a chorus of hoots, cheers, and hollers. Gladiolus joined in, whistling in enthusiasm. One of them winked and blew him a kiss, and he grinned back.

He was glad he decided to give this place a try.

Gladiolus had no idea what time it was when he began wandering through the club, looking for Cyrus, and he didn't particularly care. He saw his new friend just as he was leaving the restroom and he waved him down from halfway across the club. With his height and built stature, even in the crowded nightclub, Gladiolus stood out, making him easy to spot. Cyrus smiled and squeezed his way past patrons of all shapes and sizes.

"Hey, Gladiolus," Cyrus greeted once he got close enough. "What's up?"

"Call me Gladio," Gladiolus said, crossing his arms. "S'what all my friends call me. Gladiolus is just way too stuffy."

"Gladio," Cyrus said, smiling as he repeated the name. Gladiolus wondered if it was because he liked the nickname or if the guy was thrilled to be considered a friend. Maybe it was both. "Okay, Gladio. How are you? Enjoying yourself?"

"Definitely," Gladiolus answered while grinning and definitely a little bit drunk. "This place is a riot."

Cyrus grinned back, and it was a beautiful sight. Completely breathtaking. His pale skin and blue eyes stood out in the low lighting and he looked downright mystical in the fog. "I'm glad. There's no better place to have fun than Curia."

"I'll definitely come back next time I get a chance." If he really thought about it, Gladiolus could probably name a place that was more fun than Curia, the queer nightclub he had wandered into at a whim. But this place definitely ranked in the top ten. Maybe even top five. The drinks were reasonably priced. The people knew how to party. The atmosphere was great.

So maybe that was why without warning, Gladiolus stepped forward, pulled Cyrus close to him, and kissed him.

Cyrus' blue eyes went wide with surprise, but when Gladiolus put a hand in his black hair, they slowly closed and the young man began kissing him back. His lips were soft and he tasted like the two drinks he had over at the bar. Right away, Gladiolus could tell it was different from kissing a girl, but different didn't mean unpleasant.

It was only when Cyrus' hand reached up to touch his bare chest did Gladiolus snap out of whatever trance he had fallen into. Suddenly, he remembered lying on his back on the world's comfiest couch after a night of binge watching season two of a long running soap opera with his friend-slash-charge on him, using his chest as a pillow and all of the confusing thoughts and emotions that came with it. Without thinking, he placed both of his hands on Cyrus' shoulders and shoved the young man away.

Cyrus nearly fell over with the force, just barely managing to hold his balance as he stared up at Gladiolus in a combination of confusion, hurt, and shock, and for a moment, Gladiolus saw someone else. Instead of being parted to one side, Cyrus' black hair framed his face, long bangs just reaching down past his eyelashes. His eyes were suddenly a lighter shade of blue, from a dark sapphire to a stonewash blue.

"Noct, I-" Gladiolus blinked, and Noctis was Cyrus again, still staring at him, searching his face for answers on what just happened. " _Fuck_ , Cyrus, I'm sorry. I need to leave."

Cyrus called out to him, but Gladiolus wasn't listening. The young man tried to catch up to him, but he was already out the club door and going down the street, walking as fast as his long legs could carry him without breaking into an outright run. He had just reached the subway station when his phone buzzed with a message, but he ignored it. The only thing that was on his mind was to get away. Get away from Curia and from Cyrus. But most of all, try to get away from his own confused feelings.

As he sat on the subway train with the late workers and drunks, Gladiolus wondered what the hell he was doing. He had taken a perfectly good evening and a perfectly good new friendship and ruined it. Why? Because the kid looked like Noctis? He had gone clubbing precisely to distance himself from his strange...whatever these new thoughts and feelings were about Noctis, and as much as he wanted to blame Cyrus for what just happened, it wasn't Cyrus' fault that he had black hair, blue eyes, and was about Noctis' age and height.

Cyrus wasn't the one who kissed him. He was the one who kissed Cyrus.

The train arrived at his stop, but Gladiolus found that the ride didn't make him feel any more distant. Not that it would. He couldn't run away from himself and his own problems. They followed him to Curia, they would follow him home. And they'd follow him no matter where he went.

Gladiolus usually dealt well with problems. If it was a problem he could solve by hitting it, great. If it was a problem he could solve by just getting over it, that was also great. But this was neither. This was a problem that could neither be pummeled into submission nor just ignored until it stopped being a problem.

He managed to avoid anyone when he made it back home to the Amicitia residence, which was a small blessing for him. He didn't know how he'd be able to handle seeing his father, his sister, Jared, or even Talcott. He retreated to the safety of his room, throwing off his clothes and shuffled to his bed, settling down in it and staring up at the ceiling. He chanced a look at his phone to see three messages, all of them from Cyrus.

He didn't dare open them. He couldn't. Not at that moment. He couldn't yet own up to the fact that he had used the guy to sort out his frustrations. Frustrations related to the fact that maybe Gladiolus Amicitia was interested in men. And that the man that's caught his eye was the most ineligible man in all of Eos: Noctis Lucis Caelum. His prince. His charge. The worst possible candidate in the entire universe.

There had to be some kind of award for that.

He resolved to apologize to Cyrus in the morning. Explain what the hell he had just done. He owed him that much at least. But right now? Gladiolus Amicitia, the King's Shield, was unable to do anything but lie in bed feeling shitty about himself.

Gladiolus, at some point, had fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, it was morning. The sun shone brightly through the window, as if urging him to get up as it was a brand new day. He didn't particularly feel like it, however, and he wondered if a few more minutes in bed would hurt. He rolled over to check the time, but his eyes saw his phone first and he stared at it as if it were going to jump up and attack him. After a few seconds of this, he told himself to get a grip and he reached out for the device and saw that he had gotten new messages.

One from Prompto and one from Ignis. He stalled for time by looking at those first.

The message from Prompto was just a selfie of himself while out on his daily morning run. It was not uncommon for Prompto to do this, he loved sending seemingly random pictures to his friends during the day. If nothing else, it helped keep Gladiolus' spirits up, especially when he saw the real reason why Prompto was sending him the picture: in the background was a Cup Noodle truck. He recognized the street, and he made a promise to himself to go check it out once he got out of bed.

The message from Ignis was asking if he was free anytime that week. They hadn't met up for a while and that it would be nice if they could have lunch or coffee together. Gladiolus sent a cheeky reply asking if he was done being crabby and if it was safe to approach him again.

At last, he was out of reasons to put off the messages from Cyrus. Taking a deep breath, he opened them up to read them and type out a reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> by big awakening, i mean big _gay_ awakening
> 
> take responsibility for yourself gladio like geez


	8. (Un)appreciated

Seated cross legged and cross armed on his bed, Prompto weighed his options. Strewn out in front of him were several video game cases all spread out in a somewhat neat semi circle. He reached out for one, frowned, and pulled his arm back before his hand drifted for another one. He let out a thoughtful hum as he withdrew his arm for a second time, placing it on his knee as he fell into deep thought.

"What are you doing?"

Prompto looked up to see Noctis standing at the foot of his bed. "Haven't you heard of knocking?" he asked, a bit annoyed that his intense concentration had been broken.

"You're the one who said that your door's always open," Noctis pointed out.

"A little warning would be nice," Prompto huffed. "What if I was changing, huh?"

"Don't be such a baby," Noctis said with a roll of his eyes. "So are you going to tell me what you're doing or not?"

Prompto took a deep breath and clutched at his knee slightly. In the grand scheme of things, maybe this wasn't such a big deal, but it would be nice if Noctis would show him a little bit of courtesy once in a while. For a moment, he considered telling him that, but ultimately decided against it. He didn't like being confrontational with Noctis. Or anyone else, really, but especially Noctis, his best friend. Friendly poking and jabbing only.

"I'm going through my collection of multiplayer games," Prompto answered after a few seconds. His collection of multiplayer games for the previous console generation, to be more specific. "I need to pick one out to take to Ignis' on Tuesday."

For a moment, Noctis looked as if he understood, but then he frowned in confusion. "Wait. Why are you taking a game to Specs' on Tuesday?"

Prompto's eyes fell on the game at the very upper right of his spread. There. That was the one. He reached out and picked it up, then held it in both hands, raised upward as if it were a grand sacred object. "Because I'm going to hang out with him every Tuesday night now? I told you about this two days ago, Noct."

Noctis' brow scrunched in deep thought, trying to remember when Prompto had told him about this new addition to his schedule. He shrugged and shook his head. "Guess I forgot."

That was the answer that Prompto was expecting. Lately, it seemed like Noctis forgot a lot of things Prompto told him. Not that Prompto was _mad_ about it. No, of course not. Noctis was his closest and dearest friend. It was just disappointing. It wasn't how he had imagined living with his best friend would go.

"Anyway, can I help you?" Prompto asked. Noctis had probably come into his room for a reason, especially since he had brought up the open door policy thing. Despite everything, it was in Prompto's nature to try to be the helpful friend. Be the one who brought a smile into even the most gloomy days and ease the burdens of others even if it was just for a little bit.

"I think Gladio's mad at me," Noctis said, turning around to gaze at Prompto's closet. Or, that was what Prompto assumed he was doing. All he could see was Noctis' back, after all. "He's been avoiding me and he's slow to respond to my texts. Sometimes he doesn't reply at all."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Prompto joked as he started to pick up the games on his bed. He started gathering them into a stack as he talked, the sound of plastic hitting plastic sounding throughout the room. "You probably did something to annoy him when he was here last time."

Noctis shook his head. "But this isn't like him," he replied, turning to glance at Prompto with a lazy, somewhat blank stare. "When Gladio's mad, he yells. He stomps around and he goes training and starts getting tough on people. He doesn't just cut off contact. You don't know anything, do you?"

Prompto gave a shrug as he finished gathering all the games. With nothing else to do, he deconstructed the tower of plastic cases and started rebuilding it, this time alphabetical by title. "He seemed normal to me. We were just training the other day and he was acting like himself."

For a moment, Noctis looked disappointed, as if he had hoped that Prompto would have the answer. Prompto wasn't sure why. If there was some friction between Noctis and Gladiolus, then wouldn't Noctis himself be the one who knew best about it? Prompto usually made it his business to check up on how his friends were, but Gladiolus was not particularly forthcoming with him about the less pleasant things in his life. Gladiolus was the type of person who, in Prompto's experience, kept those kinds of things to himself and dealt with them privately on his own time while putting forward an image that everything was fine. It made the guy kind of hard to read sometimes. Ignis was the same way, although he wasn't quite as good at it. To be fair to him, though, Ignis dealt with incredible amounts of frustration and stress on a daily basis and all things considered, handled it fairly well. Or, he was until Prompto found him in an empty conference room with five and a half cans of Ebony in his system and looking like he wanted to scream.

That was why he decided to start this new Tuesday ritual, because the idea of Ignis breaking and shutting down was a frightening one and Prompto had no desire to see that happen to one of his precious friends. Not after seeing the lengths Ignis would go to help him out whenever he needed it. Friends took care of each other, after all, and Prompto was more than willing to work around his already busy schedule to make time for Ignis.

"Maybe he's just a little down because of the last breakup," Prompto suggested as he put the finishing touches on his alphabetized pile only to realize that he did it backwards. A's should go on the bottom, not the top, if he wanted to line them up nicely on his shelf. Goddammit. Once again, the tower must be remade. Fortunately, it was only going to be less than a minute of work. "You know how Gladio gets. Like, super attached to his girlfriends. Must be hard on him whenever he gets dumped."

Noctis made a grunt and Prompto couldn't decipher exactly what it meant, but he could already tell that Noctis didn't find that explanation satisfactory. It was the best Prompto could offer as he hadn't noticed anything off about Gladiolus during his time with him. Without another word, Noctis used a foot to push himself off the footboard of Prompto's bed and shuffled out of the bedroom.

"You're welcome," Prompto called after him.

* * *

"Ready to go?" Prompto asked as he strolled into Ignis' office at the end of the day. He had a small satchel slung casually over his shoulder that contained his camera, his laundry, and the game he had picked out a few days earlier. Ignis looked up from his desk and put the papers he was holding down. Prompto noticed there were no cans of Ebony in sight and decided that was a good thing.

Ignis hesitated slightly and Prompto feared that his friend was going to call it off. Tell him that he couldn't leave and that he had to stay and work. That it was more important that he sit and suffer there in administrative hell than spend time with him.

"I...yes," Ignis said, and Prompto read lots of things in his voice and his expression. It was rare for Ignis to fumble over his words and he sounded a bit unsure, as if he felt guilty for leaving on time of all things. Prompto could remember asking once if Ignis got paid overtime and the answer was a very unambiguous no. Up until his acceptance to the Crownsguard, Prompto was used to hourly wage jobs and the idea of working overtime, especially as much as Ignis did, for no additional compensation was absolutely mind boggling. But there was something else, a small smile that tugged at the corners of Ignis' lips that told Prompto that he was excited. Eager to get out of the Citadel and spend time with his friend in a capacity where all activities related to his job were strictly forbidden. Ignis stood up and Prompto felt himself bubble with happiness. The two of them bid a good night to Ignis' secretary and they were out the door and into the Citadel elevator.

"I brought a two player game, just like I promised," Prompto said, reaching into his bag to retrieve the game, holding it out to Ignis. "It's a puzzle game and it has a co-op mode." The objective was to get the characters from point A to point B, solving puzzles and dodging enemies and traps along the way. He thought it would be the kind of thing Ignis would enjoy.

Ignis took the case and examined it, reading the title and the informational blurbs on the back. "Interesting," he commented, and Prompto took that to mean a good thing. "How's school, by the way? I think you mentioned getting frustrated with your programming class over text?"

Prompto nodded, touched that not only did Ignis think to ask him about his classes, but remembered specifically what Prompto had told him. "Yeah, but that's normal. I dunno how much you know about programming, but it's annoying for everyone involved. What I've got so far is something that kind of works, but it doesn't do exactly what the assignment requires. And every time I try to fix something, something else breaks."

He heard a chuckle from Ignis and Prompto tilted his head slightly upwards to see his friend smiling. "I have to confess I know little to nothing about software development, but I can relate to the feeling. Trying to keep a kingdom functioning smoothly is a lot like that: a test of patience and personal mettle."

"But it feels great when you finally get it right," Prompto added. It was what made it all worthwhile in the end, seeing a program running smoothly, doing both what you want it to do and with no errors or bugs at all. Beside him, Ignis' smile only got bigger.

"It certainly does."

The elevator's bell rung as they reached the ground floor, doors opening up to them. They both waved to the group of Kingsglaive waiting to use the elevator and left the building, heading for the subway station. Prompto passed through without so much a second glance. Ignis got stares. It was exactly the same as last time they went through the subway together.

"I know this place that has really good coffee," Prompto said as they squeezed into the crowded train car. "It's not a big detour and I think you'll really like it. We can have dinner there too." Ignis agreed to the suggestion, then shortly afterwards, was pushed by an oncoming passenger straight into Prompto.

"Apologies," Ignis sad, backing up half a step so that Prompto could regain his balance. The advisor turned his head to look for the one who had pushed him, but it was impossible to know who it was in the sea of people. "As you already know, people tend to forget their manners once they clock out of their workplaces."

"Not your fault," Prompto said with a short, forced laugh. "I know all too well."

Once they reached the appropriate stop, Prompto and Ignis squeezed themselves off the train and back up to the surface. They walked along the sidewalk, past a line of cars that seemed to be stuck in a stationary position. When they did move, it was only forward a couple of feet before they had to stop again. Prompto was glad they didn't drive. He's never had the misfortune of having to drive through Insomnia's rush hour traffic and he hoped he never would. It looked like hell.

The Treno Café was a short walk to the station and Prompto held the door open for Ignis as they entered and were immediately welcomed by the comforting smell of roasted coffee. The redheaded waitress came up to greet them.

"Hello, and welcome back to the Treno Café, Prompto!" she greeted. "Oh, you brought a friend this time? Let's get you two seated."

Prompto looked a little sheepish at being referred to by name. He was a regular at the café and while he hesitated to call her a friend as they only saw each other in the context of customer and waitress, he was on a first name basis with her.

The waitress led them to a quiet booth in the corner of the café and handed them a pair of menus before asking them if they wanted anything to drink. Prompto ordered the new drink that had caused the surge in business when he had come by with Quintus and upon hearing that it had caused a bit of a fad, a curious Ignis decided to also try it, even though he usually preffered plain black coffee.

"How are you feeling lately?" Prompto asked as they waited for their drinks. "Because last time you were, and I'm gonna be totally honest here please don't hurt me, a wreck."

"Better than I was then," Ignis replied, which told Prompto that while his friend wasn't exactly happy, at least there was an improvement. "I have to admit you dragging me out of the Citadel was sorely needed that day. I'm grateful you took the time to help me, Prompto."

Prompto grinned. "Glad I could help. Like I said, you're always doing the same for me, so I thought it was time to return the favor."

"You owe me nothing," Ignis said as the waitress came back with their drinks. The cups were warm with whipped cream and a dribble of caramel syrup on top and he picked up his spoon to stir everything together. The sound of metal scraping against ceramic could be heard as Prompto did the same. "I'm always happy to help you whenever you need it."

Prompto lifted his cup to take a sip, tasting an absolutely delightful blend of milk, caramel, coffee, and sugar. One look across the table told him that Ignis Scientia, a man with simultaneously impossibly high and extremely low standards for coffee, also approved of it. He let out a sigh as he put the cup back down. "I just want you to know it's appreciated."

Across from him, Ignis frowned and also put down his cup. "Is something wrong, Prompto?"

"Nah, nothing important," Prompto said, looking down at the coffee as if he expected it to tell him the answers to life's greatest questions. When it yielded no forbidden knowledge of any kind, he picked up the spoon to stir it some more. It swirled in a nice pattern, but continued to keep its secrets to itself.

"It is," Ignis objected, then briefly looked to the side, as if he were considering saying something else. His gaze returned to Prompto as he added. "You're important. If something is bothering you, then it's important."

Prompto abruptly stopped stirring to look up at him, look into Ignis' green eyes and seeing nothing but kindness and concern in them. It was too much.

At that moment, the waitress came back to take their orders and Prompto had never been so grateful for an interruption in his life.

"Um, Ignis?" Prompto started once she was gone again, his attention back on the cup of coffee in front of him. "Do you ever feel like...you're taken for granted? That people just kind of forget that you're a person who has thoughts and feelings too?" He looked up once more and saw Ignis sipping his own cup giving him a knowing look and it took Prompto exactly three seconds to realize why. "Oh, right. I uh, guess you do. More than anyone."

"All of the time, Prompto," Ignis said as he put his empty cup down. "All of the time."

 _All_ of the time? Prompto didn't know how a single human being could live like that. "How do you deal with it?"

"I suspect a significant part of it is simply the way I am," Ignis said as Prompto began sipping his coffee again. "I was explicitly raised and trained to be this way, of course. I take genuine pride and joy in what I do, so I do not necessarily require acknowledgement or validation for what I do. _Even if it would be nice._ " Ignis coughed. "Apologies. I often tell myself that even if much of what I do goes unthanked, it's not out of malice. People are not intentionally trying to hurt me by not recognizing my efforts. They do appreciate what I do, even if they don't realize it. Either way, it makes the words of thanks I do get much more valuable."

Prompto thought over the answer as he finished the last drop of coffee in his cup. "Still, it's gotta suck."

Ignis chuckled. "Oh, absolutely. It's positively soul crushing at times, but years of enduring it have made it easier to bear. It may be petty of me to do so, but I do take a bit of satisfaction in knowing that if I were to suddenly disappear one day, it would not go unnoticed and perhaps certain individuals would acquire a newfound appreciation for me afterwards."

"I know I said it already," Prompto said. "But I appreciate you."

Ignis smiled affectionately. "I know," he replied. "And I appreciate you."

* * *

After a satisfying dinner, they went to their original destination, Ignis' apartment. It was exactly like how Prompto remembered it from his first visit. Everything was in the same place as before. Facing the same direction. It was like a photograph, unchanging and unmoving. It was kind of worrying, actually, because if it was true nothing had been touched since Prompto's last visit, did that mean Ignis didn't even have the time to enjoy his own home? But then Prompto did see something that was different: next to the game console, sitting next to the case for Assassin's Creed, was another plastic game case. He bent over to pick it up.

He recognized the title as a roleplaying game. One of those epic long ones that took sixty hours to complete. More importantly, however, Prompto knew that this definitely was not here during his last visit. He held it up. "Hey Iggy, is this new?"

Upon seeing the game, Ignis looked a bit embarrassed. "Ah, yes, it is. I went out and got that the day after you visited. It looked intriguing."

"Liking it so far?" Prompto asked as he turned the game console on.

"I've only put in about four hours so far, but yes. I'm enjoying it very much."

"Man, I should have guessed you'd be an RPG guy," Prompto said as he put the disc for his puzzle game into the console and closed the tray. He held out a controller to Ignis. "Strategic combat and deep stories, sounds right up your alley. I wonder if you'd like MMOs."

"I must confess that I have no idea what you're talking about," Ignis said as he took the controller. On the television, the game's title screen came to life as Prompto selected two player mode from the options.

"I'll explain it to you later," Prompto said as the game's introduction started to play. "Did you finish Assassin's Creed, by the way?"

Ignis shook his head. "No, I haven't played it since you were last here." Before Prompto could ask why, Ignis continued. "I know it's a single player game, but I wanted to play through it with you here."

Something about that was very touching to Prompto and he didn't know why. Maybe Ignis just wanted someone to talk to about the historical setting or explaining who the historical figures were. But if that was the case, he could do that with anyone. He could invite Gladiolus over, or even Noctis. Noctis was so into Assassin's Creed it was cringe worthy. However, he wanted Prompto. Prompto specifically. It was stupid, but...

It made him feel special.

Maybe he was reading too much into this. He forced himself out of overthinking it and turned his attention back to the television screen. "Then let's play more Assassin's Creed after this."

They finished the puzzle game in an hour and a half, which Prompto thought was pretty impressive. He already knew the solutions to a lot of the puzzles, but he let Ignis figure them out for himself, as well as find the solutions to the ones that he couldn't remember. He remembered reading on the internet somewhere that it usually took two players three hours to finish the game blind, so to do it in half the time was incredible.

They switched to Assassin's Creed after that, and Prompto let Ignis play the entire time, only offering the occasional guidance on which way to go. Compared to last time, Ignis played much better. The controller looked more natural in his hands and he guided the protagonist with much more confidence and skill.

More importantly, however, Ignis looked relaxed and he was clearly enjoying himself. If Prompto knew that video games would have had this kind of an effect on him, he would have suggested that Ignis pick up the hobby years ago. It would have been great if he had a buddy to play with that wasn't Noctis. It would mean he would have had another really close friend during his teenage years. It would mean that maybe Prompto wouldn't stake so much of his identity and happiness on Noctis.

And then maybe he wouldn't be in the situation he was in now.

Well, you can't change the past, so there was no point on dwelling on it. Prompto didn't want to be a downer on what was supposed to be a weekly relaxation ritual with Ignis, so he made all sorts of commentary on the game and listened when Ignis had something to say of his own. Usually something educational, but it was extremely fascinating. Who knew history could be so entertaining? Maybe Prompto would have known this sooner if he had paid more attention to history in school. Or maybe he just wasn't being taught the right kind of history.

Prompto didn't notice the passage of time until three more hours had passed. He didn't notice that he had, over those three hours, scooted closer and closer to Ignis until he found himself pressed right up to his friend's side and his chin resting on his shoulder.

It wasn't intentional. Honest.

Ignis didn't seem to notice either, as his eyes were firmly fixed on the television screen as he struggled to guide the protagonist to safety after assassinating his mark. He managed to make it to safehouse without dying, although he frowned and mumbled something about how sloppy it was. A properly trained assassin wouldn't have caused so much commotion and was this character really a master assassin like the game claimed?

Prompto couldn't help but laugh. Ignis started to turn his head to face him and he drew back, suddenly realizing how close they had been just now. His eyes caught sight of the clock just behind Ignis and in a state of mild panic, he started to babble about the time. "Wow, it's late, isn't it? Time flies when you're having fun, huh? I, uh, should probably head back?"

Wordlessly, Ignis looked at the clock himself to read the time, which clearly said 12:37 AM. Whoops. Prompto was supposed to have left over an hour ago, and while he was scheduled for a late start the next morning for Crownsguard duty, it would still take a while for him to ride the public transportation back to the apartment.

"You're supposed to report in at nine in the morning, correct?" Ignis asked and Prompto nodded. He usually had to go in at eight or even seven, but he was gifted with an extra hour to sleep in that particular day. "By the time you make it back home, there won't be enough time for you to get a good night's sleep. Why don't you stay here tonight? You can use my guest room."

Something about the suggestion was downright terrifying to Prompto, and he fidgeted slightly as he considered his options. Which, logically, made no sense. This was Ignis, his friend. It would be just like the countless times he stayed over at Noctis' before they moved in together. But there was something, he didn't know quite what, about staying at Ignis' apartment that made him nervous. Like he didn't belong among all the stationary, untouched furniture and decorations, that he'd tarnish the pristine image it gave off.

"You won't be a burden," Ignis said before Prompto could come up with an excuse. "My guest room and guest shower haven't seen use for a long time and I'd hate for them to live out the rest of their inanimate lives feeling unfulfilled."

When he put it that way, Prompto really couldn't say no.

He showered nervously, feeling exposed in the complete privacy and safety of the bathroom. He felt guilty using Ignis' fancy soaps and shampoos. There was a set of matching hand soap and lotion on the sink and they smelled amazing. Prompto's hands never felt so soft. He lay awake in the absurdly comfortable bed, with its fancy sheets that were beckoning him closer and closer to sleep. If this was just the guest bed, Prompto wondered what Ignis' own bed felt like. It was probably even more comfortable than this one was.

He was far too drowsy to realize that thinking about Ignis' bed was kind of weird.

The next morning, Ignis made him breakfast, a delicious and healthy bowl of oatmeal along with fresh fruit and juice before they departed for the Citadel. Prompto waved good morning to the people saw as they cleared security and walked through the doors together and some waved back, per usual. Others, however, gave him grins and a few gave him a thumbs up, and he had no idea what that was about.

The day itself was normal and routine. Prompto did his Crownsguard duties, trained, patrolled, and socialized with his coworkers and other members of the Citadel faculty. He achieved a new personal best on the shooting range. By evening, he was feeling pretty good about himself, whistling as he strolled down the street back home to the apartment. He had his key in the lock and was halfway to unlocking the door when it suddenly swung open violently, taking his keys along with it. They jingled helplessly as Prompto stood there with his hand still hovering in midair.

In the doorway was a very angry looking Noctis.

"Where the hell have _you_ been!?"


	9. Alone

He was alone.

Noctis Lucis Caelum was sitting alone in his apartment on a Tuesday night and the only thing that could have made that sadder was if it was the weekend. Prompto and Ignis ditched him to play video games. (And that was a fact that Noctis was still trying to process as actually real and not made up.) Gladiolus wasn't answering his messages. His father, like always, was tied up in royal business. Even Iris wasn't available because Iris was a functional human being who actually had a real social life. Or a life in general.

Wouldn't it be nice if he had that too?

Noctis always kept people at arm's length. His only friend as a child was Lunafreya, the only other person in the world who seemed to understand him. And sometimes he thought she still was. She probably would have remained his only friend too, if Prompto hadn't come and practically forced his way into his life during high school. He had opened up more after that. After Prompto, Noctis let both Gladiolus and Ignis get closer to him as well. He allowed them to become more than just his bodyguard and his chamberlain and as much as he made faces at both of them for various reasons, he knew that his life was better for it.

And now none of them were around and their absences had a profound effect on Noctis. He was used to knowing that Gladiolus was never too far away. He was used to Ignis coming to attend to his every whim at any moment. He was used to Prompto following him around like a puppy. And now none of them were there, and for the first time in years, Noctis felt lonely. With no human contact, all that remained was his identity as a prince. As a royal symbol that was loved for what he represented, but not for who he was.

It was something Noctis noticed ever since childhood, but he didn't truly understand what it meant until after he graduated from high school and entered the world of adulthood. It meant being seen as a prince first and if he was lucky, a person second. It meant being loved, but not liked. It meant that his one and only purpose in life was to dutifully play his role in the grand master plan that was the Lucis Caelum legacy. Except he couldn't even do that, because Noctis was absolutely incapable of being even a passable prince, let alone a good one. He fell asleep during important meetings. He didn't understand half of the things being said to him. He needed Ignis to fix his mistakes and do everything for him. Including the basic day to day things that normal people did on a daily basis.

Meaning he wasn't even decent at being a person.

These were thoughts Noctis had often, and he only truly forgot about them when he spent time with the precious few friends he had. And this night marked quite possibly the first time that there was nobody he could talk to, either in person or over the phone. Normally, being alone wasn't a problem. He could handle a few hours by himself. He'd busy himself with homework until Prompto came home.

Except Prompto didn't come home.

Noctis sent him messages and in the morning, he got a reply from Prompto that he had stayed over at Ignis' place. Which was good because it meant Prompto was safe, but it was also not good for reasons that Noctis couldn't quite place. All he knew was that he was angry about it. Not because Prompto had neglected to tell him about the change in plans, but because he wanted Prompto home with him, because Prompto could always chase his bad moods away with his bottomless reserve of positivity and his unconditional friendship.

Prompto had abandoned him and left him to stew in his feelings of inadequacy alone. And this wasn't the first time. Prompto had brushed him off twice before: first when Noctis had woken him up in the middle of the night and again when he asked about Gladiolus avoiding him.

For once, Noctis was somewhat glad for his princely duties that day. He didn't have anything to do at the Citadel, but he had a few public appearances to attend to and they would occupy his thoughts. He'd put on his fake public smile and wonder if someday in the future it would become real. Unfortunately, they did not help. They did the opposite of help. Being surrounded by the adoring public only served the reinforce the fact that Noctis was alone. He hadn't seen his best friend in over a day. His advisor was swamped with other work. His Shield was...well, his location and activities were a complete mystery and all Noctis could do when he got home was wait.

Wait until he heard the sound of a key being put into the door's lock. He jumped from his seat on the couch and practically ripped the door open.

"Where the hell have _you_ been!?" he demanded, and only afterward, he realized that came out way harsher than he had intended.

For a moment, Prompto seemed frozen in place, holding onto the empty space where his keychain had been in his hand just seconds ago. His other hand held onto his satchel. He stared up in confusion and something else that Noctis couldn't identify, trying to process what had just happened, what was happening, and what Noctis was demanding of him. "I...what? Noct, I told you this morning, I stayed at Iggy's place then I went to the Citadel for Crownsguard duty."

"You were supposed to come home last night!" Noctis hissed at him.

"Noct, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner I was staying at Iggy's," Prompto said. "My bad. Totally on me. Sorry for worrying you."

Noctis stepped aside to let Prompto in. As Prompto walked past him, retrieving his keys from the lock, he shut the door. It made a loud slam and Noctis winced a bit, having used more force than he intended to. "You left me alone," he grumbled. "I was...there was nothing to do without you."

Prompto paused, then turned his head and his blue eyes, normally calming and gentle, seemed icy cold. "Is this what this is about? Are you mad at me because you were _bored_!?"

Noctis opened his mouth to protest. Although yes, he was bored, that was absolutely _not_ what this was about. However, Prompto didn't give him the chance.

"Is that all I am to you, Noct? Your entertainment? Your cute little commoner companion?" Prompto continued, turning fully to glare at him now.

"What the hell, Prompto?" Noctis asked, frowning at him. What was with the sudden hostility? Where had all this come from? It just exploded out of nowhere. "No, that's not it! You're my best friend and-"

Before he could finish that sentence, he was cut off. "How about you try _acting_ like it once in a while?" Prompto interrupted, grip tightening on his bag. "You know, I don't even want much. Just a little "Hi, Prompto, how was your day?" would be enough, but you don't even ask that."

Noctis was at a loss, still reeling from the fact that Prompto had suddenly snapped at him and had now gone on a miniature rant. Whatever anger he had before was temporarily forgotten in the face of Prompto's much more fearsome outburst. "I...how was your day?"

In response, Prompto ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm himself down. "Do you not get it? I shouldn't have to tell you to do that!"

"Why is this such a big deal!?" Noctis demanded. He could not see what was so important about this, or if there was some kind of larger point that Prompto was trying to get at. "Sorry I don't ask about your day like some kind of high pitched housewife, but I have a lot more things on my mind and stuff happening every day-"

"You're not the only one!" Prompto snapped. "Every person ever has a lot on their minds and stuff happening every day and the rest of us manage to spare giving a damn about our friends once in a while!"

"The rest of you," Noctis growled, "don't have royal duties to attend to or have to fake smiling for hours upon hours every day."

The response, however, seemed to only upset Prompto more and he grabbed his satchel in both hands, squeezing it. "No, Noctis, this has nothing to do with that. This isn't about you being a prince. This isn't about your shitty prince duties or your dad being too busy to spend time with you. You can't use that excuse this time. This is about you being selfish!"

At that last word, Noctis took a step back as if Prompto had physically hit him. "Selfish!?"

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to be your friend?" Prompto asked. "How hard I had to work to even get you to notice me in the first place? How I have to fend off your admirers every time we go out and keep away scumbags who are looking to take advantage of you? To be told that I'm just an ass kissing nobody riding the prince's coattails all the time? No, of course you don't. You never will. And that's not your fault. But did you know I had to kick my own project partner out of our apartment because he tried to snoop in your room? Do you know I train with Gladio three times a week or what classes I'm taking?" Prompto waited for an answer. Noctis didn't give him one. "I make time and listen to you every time you need to talk to someone, but you don't do the same for me. I even tell you these things and you don't remember them at all. And it's not just with me, either! You don't know the names of any of Gladio's girlfriends or what Ignis does for you every day."

"I'm sorry," Noctis said, and this time it was quieter and more sincere. Because Prompto was right. He couldn't deny a single thing that Prompto had said. "Believe me, I do care about you. You're important to me."

There was a long moment of silence before Prompto responded with a sigh heavy enough to topple mountains. "I know. And I care about you too. You're my best friend, but..." Prompto loosened his grip on his bag, slinging it back over his shoulder. "It's just... _fuck_ , Noct...sometimes it feels more like I'm your pet than your friend. Well, sorry Noct, but I'm not your dog. I don't exist to just be at your beck and call."

Prompto didn't say anything else as he turned around again to walk down the hallway, his footsteps on the hardwood floor sounding impossibly loud to Noctis, who was immobilized, feeling like his body weighed a ton and he was unable to move a muscle. The sound of the door to Prompto's room closing broke whatever spell he had been under and suddenly, he could move again. Noctis stepped forward, stepping carefully as if it were the middle of the night and he was sneaking out of his room to use the bathroom.

He had no idea that was how Prompto was feeling. How long had it been? Days? Weeks? Longer? He needed to apologize. He didn't mean to hurt him and the idea that he was unknowingly doing so weighed heavily on Noctis' shoulders. He didn't know what he would say and he tried to figure it out with every step he took, but nothing he could think of sounded good enough. However, not apologizing was out of the question. Even if he didn't know what to say, he had to say _something_. After what felt like an eternity, he reached Prompto's door and put a hand on the doorknob. With a deep breath, he turned it.

It was locked.

* * *

With nowhere else to go, Noctis ended up in his own bedroom, lying on top of his blankets and staring upward into the ceiling. The confrontation earlier left him feeling numb. He didn't know how he expected things to go when he first demanded to know where Prompto had been, but it certainly wasn't that. He didn't even know why he even asked in the first place, as he had already known the answer. Maybe some part of him didn't believe Prompto when he said he had stayed at Ignis' apartment. There was no reason not to. Prompto had no reason to lie and it was easily verifiable just by asking Ignis if that was true or not.

Noctis wondered if part of him _wanted_ it to be a lie. Wanted a different answer that didn't involve Prompto choosing to not come back the previous night. The same part of him that made Noctis think that Prompto should be available to him at all times. The same part of him that made Prompto feel like a pet rather than a friend.

Over the past couple weeks, he had gotten used to Prompto always being there, and overreacted when he wasn't.

Prompto went to Ignis' the previous night. Maybe Noctis could ask him to smooth things over? No, he couldn't do that. He couldn't keep relying on Ignis to fix his every screw up. Overreliance on Ignis was one of the reasons he keeps screwing everything up. But maybe he could ask him for advice. Grabbing his phone, Noctis sent a message to Ignis saying he had upset someone and asked what he should do to make up for it.

A few minutes later, a reply came in. It said to acknowledge his mistakes, apologize for them, and explain how he was going to fix the problem and avoid a repeat in the future. Alright. That sounded like a good plan. He could do that. Except that Prompto had locked his previously always unlocked door and wasn't replying to any of Noctis' texts. So he asked Ignis what he should do if the person he upset wasn't talking to him.

> **Ignis:** Then you'll have to wait until they are ready to hear your apology.

Meaning that Noctis wouldn't be able to fix this until morning at the very least. Perhaps that was for the best and a good night's sleep would make Prompto more open to an apology. With nothing else to do, Noctis wriggled his way underneath his blanket. Maybe the words would come to him when he woke up and wasn't feeling tired.

The words didn't come to him, but what _did_ come to him was a text from Gladiolus and it was like there was suddenly a beacon of hope in Noctis' life. He had given up on the idea of Gladiolus talking to him in the forseeable future. Immediately, he opened it up.

> **Gladiolus:** Sry for ignoring u. Had to deal with some stuff.
> 
> **Noctis:** oh thank the gods
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Ur not normally this happy 2 see me. Something wrong?
> 
> **Noctis:** really bad day thats all

He didn't elaborate any further. He didn't want to tell Gladiolus that he had a fight with Prompto. He could barely even tell Ignis he upset someone and didn't even identify who it was. He wondered if Ignis knew. It wasn't like Noctis had that many people that were possible candidates and Ignis knew everything ever anyway.

Gladiolus' next reply was asking if he wanted to hang out sometime in the next few days and Noctis practically jumped at the offer. He probably would have, if he weren't lying in bed. Just done an actual jump even though he was alone in his room. Maybe the isolation was driving him a bit crazy. He decided if he ever just started randomly jumping for no reason, that was a sign he was losing it.

Plans were made to do Gladiolus' favorite activity: training. Normally, Noctis would grunt and moan at the idea, but at this point, he was happy to agree to anything Gladiolus would suggest. The guy could suggest they go to an all vegetarian restaurant and Noctis would have said yes without question. Just as he put his phone down, it beeped once again signaling a new message had come in and Noctis picked it back up with minor annoyance.

> **Gladiolus:** Tomorrow night at 8, dont forget. Meet at my place and well go to the Citadel from there. Bring paint

Noctis blinked and stared at his phone in pure bafflement for a few seconds. Paint? Completely confused at the odd request, all he could do was send a quick acknowledgement before sitting up. It looked like he needed to go shopping.

* * *

The plastic bags in Noctis' hands were somewhat heavy as he carried them down the street, walking from the subway station to the Amicitia residence. The weight didn't bother him. Despite his lean stature, he carried heavier things like greatswords as tall as he was on a regular basis. He was more worried about the bags breaking. The cashier at the store had double bagged them and indeed, they didn't look like they were going to buckle, but it was a worry nonetheless. It would be awful if they tore and suddenly there was paint splattered over Insomnia's sidewalks. Awful for a lot of reasons.

Noctis distracted himself from potential disasters by observing the strangers that passed him by. A trio of businessmen probably on their way to some fancy restaurant or bar. A woman with piercing green eyes hurrying to some destination or other. A young man with black hair swept over one eye heading for the subway. A family of tourists from outside the city admiring the buildings. A pair of Crownsguard on patrol. Noctis didn't know their names, but he did know their faces. They waved to him and he moved the bags in his right hand to his left for a moment so he could wave back.

Before he knew it, he was right outside the Amicitia door, knocking with one hand. As usual, Jared answered the door and let him in, letting him know that Gladiolus was waiting for him in the dining room.

"You got the goods?" Gladiolus asked as Noctis placed the plastic bags on the table. They made a loud noise as they were set down. Through the translucent plastic, he could see the cans and brushes inside. "Good, good."

"So, you gonna tell me what paint has to do with training now?" Noctis asked, but he got a head shake in return and a promise to let him know once they made it to the Citadel's training hall.

In all technicality, the training hall was open around the clock, however nobody used it after 8:30 PM. Crownsguard and Kingsglaive spend a good chunk of their scheduled shifts training, so there was no need for anyone to use it during the off hours. One of the first things both groups emphasized to the new recruits was the importance of rest. An exhausted or injured Crownsguard or Kingsglaive would not be able to perform their duties or, in the worst case scenario, be unable to protect the royal family in case of an emergency. Therefore, keeping everyone in top form was a high priority.

It also meant the training hall was completely empty after a certain time, making it an ideal location for all sorts of activities and shenanigans. Gladiolus flipped on the light switch as they entered and Noctis could hear their footsteps echoing throughout the large area.

"So what are we doing today?" Noctis asked and Gladiolus led him over to a training dummy. Weapons practice then? He should have guessed. Gladiolus was always driving him hard on his greatsword technique.

"See this dummy here?" Gladiolus asked, giving said dummy a hearty pat on the shoulder. "See how angry it is?"

"Uh...no," Noctis answered, squinting his eyes as he examined the dummy. Try as he might, he could feel no rage eminating from it. It was a dummy. It was just there. It was brand new and a total blank slate. Ready to be hit.

"Exactly," Gladiolus nodded, crossing his arms. "Look at it. Completely non threatening. You know what it could use? A face."

Noctis looked down at the plastic bag of paint in his hand. "Is that the real reason why you brought me here?"

"Don't act too surprised, we're still gonna train," Gladiolus remarked. "But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun as well."

Noctis laughed. He hadn't expected this at all. Especially not that last line, because he was fairly sure that Gladiolus' idea of fun involved training. He set the plastic bag on the floor, unwrapping it and opening one of the paint cans inside, dipping a paint brush in it. "Then let's get to work."

With black paint nearly dripping off the bristles of the brush, Noctis walked up to the dummy to give it a face worthy of being smacked around. He made it bug eyed and gave it thick angled eyebrows. An open circular mouth filled with various sized triangle teeth finished off the look.

"Perfect," Gladiolus praised.

"But we've got a problem now," Noctis said, gesturing with his free hand to the bags of paint. "We have all this extra paint and nothing to do with it."

"I've got an idea for that," Gladiolus said, pointing to the other training equipment. "Was thinking, why should the dummies get all the fun?"

Noctis grinned, handing Gladiolus the brush he was holding. "Alright, but you gotta help too. This is too much for me to handle alone."

It took an hour for them to go through the equipment. Despite their crude design, both of them took extra care to ensure their art was nothing short of absolutely crappy. Noctis gave a punching bag a face while Gladiolus painted a circle with some triangle tipped lines coming out of it to the sides. When asked what that was supposed to be, he replied they were supposed to be hands with claws coming out of them.

"That's the shittiest looking claw I've ever seen," Noctis commented.

"Thanks."

But then Noctis thought, why stop at faces? Returning to the line of training dummies, he went up to the first one and dipped his brush back in paint, hiding what he was doing from Gladiolus with his body. When he was finished, he stepped a side to show off his handy work. On the dummy's abdomen, he had painted the words "AIM HERE" with an arrow pointing downwards.

Try as he might to hold it in, Gladiolus erupted into laughter. "Noct, it doesn't have a dick."

"So?" Noctis asked. "It's for encouragement. Now stop standing there and help me."

It wasn't long before the dummies were branded with phrases like "KICK MY ASS" and "HURT ME MORE" with a lopsided heart scrawled next to it.

The two vandals stepped back to admire their handiwork.

"There's still a lot of paint left," Noctis said, looking at the cans left on the floor, paint brushes lying on the plastic near them.

"I think that's enough property damage for one night," Gladiolus said. "We'll hang onto them. Maybe they'll be useful some other time."

Even though there was a clock mounted on the wall right in front of them, Noctis took out his phone to check the time. "We didn't train at all." Gladiolus grunted in agreement, although he didn't sound too upset at not being able to participate in one of his favorite activities.

"Hey, Noct," Gladiolus said, out of the blue. "You got some paint on your face." Again, without warning, his larger friend reached over to wipe at a drop of black paint on Noctis' cheek, smearing it across his face. Noctis almost jumped back. But he didn't. He just stared up at Gladiolus, who seemed to be carefully watching his reaction.

"I..." Noctis started, then he blinked. He walked over to the paint cans and hunched over them, dipping his fingertips in them. He hid his hand behind his back as he returned to Gladiolus. "You've got some paint on you too." And then he reached out to leave his fingerprints on Gladiolus' chest. His hand lingered for longer than it should have before Noctis drew it back.

"I, uh," Gladiolus said and Noctis realized the only time he's seen the man fumble over words was when Iris was mad at him. After all, no man radiated confidence like Gladiolus Amicitia. "I'll take you home."

The trip back to the apartment was long and awkward as Noctis looked around the subway cars, at storefronts, and just about anything aside from his companion.

"Thanks for the date, Gladio," Noctis said as they reached his apartment door, unlocking it. Gladiolus stopped, staring straight at him. He couldn't figure out what it was, but Noctis decided it was not good. "Alright uh, see you tomorrow? Bye." And as quickly as he could, he opened the door, entered, and closed it, leaning his back against it and letting out the breath he had been holding.

 _"Thanks for the date!?"_ he thought to himself. _What the hell!? What kind of weirdo says that!?_

He didn't have an answer as he pushed himself off the door and shuffled towards the bathroom, hoping that paint easily washed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry both Noct and Prompto were kind of jerks. A lot of this chapter hits home for me.


	10. Thirsty

"You wanna meet up tonight?"

Ignis looked up from his lunch to Gladiolus curiously. It wasn't often that the man came to visit him in his office. Gladiolus claimed it was because he hated the oppressive atmosphere of the bureaucratic side of the Citadel, but privately, Ignis thought he was intimidated by it. It was a world his musclebound friend knew nothing about and didn't care to learn about. If Ignis were honest, it was a good decision. Any branch of the government that had to do with actual governing was nothing short of a complete mess that made Noctis look neat.

"You came all the way to my office to ask that?" Ignis inquired, putting down his fork and setting aside his boxed lunch for a moment. He wasn't about to eat while Gladiolus was standing right there in front of him. It would be different if it was a meal outing, but this was Gladiolus unexpectedly interrupting what was supposed to be his quiet and peaceful lunch. "You could have asked over text."

Gladiolus' face briefly flashed something Ignis could have sworn was uncertainty. Gladiolus' amber eyes darted to the side briefly before coming back to look at Ignis. "I wanted to ask you in person. I got something I want to talk about."

That explained a lot. That was Gladiolus' way of saying he had something he didn't want to discuss with anyone else. Normally, it was about a breakup with a girl, but they were already up to date on that. Besides, it had been weeks since his most recent girlfriend left him and poor Gladiolus was so used to heartbreak he recovered quickly from it. The circumstances left Ignis wondering what it was about. Was there something about Calliope, the latest in the line of women who entered and exited Gladiolus' life, that was different from the others? Did he find a new girlfriend and there was some sort of issue with her or the relationship? Was this something completely unrelated to romantic entanglements altogether?

Whatever it was, Ignis was happy to find the time for him. The fact that their friendship even existed at all was nothing short of a miracle, being two men who were opposite of each other in so many ways and yet had just enough in common to connect. Their relationship was an odd one that was meticulously balanced around an unwritten system of give and take. Of equal parts cooperation and rivalry. Of finding that perfect amount of time to spend with each other, and the perfect amount of time to spend apart, for as close they were, they had a tendency to antagonize each other if they spent too much time together.

But the one thing that was absolute between them, the one thing that didn't need to be carefully judged or negotiated was the fact that when it really counted, they unfailingly had each other's support, a powerful bond of loyalty that was perhaps just as strong as the one they had for Noctis. They told each other things they would never admit to anyone else, including other friends and family. Ignis was the keeper of many of Gladiolus' secrets and in turn, Gladiolus was the guardian of his.

"I would be delighted to spend the evening with you," Ignis replied. "Drinks, then? Where would you like to meet today?"

"This place," Gladiolus replied, using his phone to text an address to Ignis, one he didn't recognize. It was unusual for Gladiolus to not choose one of their regular haunts. Apparently, that day, the man was filled to the brim with odd behavior. "Eight sound good to you? Gives you time to eat before heading out."

"Eight works," Ignis replied, taking out a day planner from his blazer pocket to write it in. It was not necessary for him to write it down, as it was going to be in a few hours and he would never forget a meeting with Gladiolus, but it was a good habit for him to have. "I have some things I need to get off my chest as well."

Mainly the quagmire of problems that have been plaguing him lately. For once, Ignis would like to have a wonderful day that was only filled with minor inconveniences that made him sigh into his morning coffee, not having him reaching for an Ebony can every hour.

"Great, see you later, Iggy," Gladiolus said, turned around, and hurried out of the office as if he couldn't stand being so close to paperwork for a moment longer than necessary. There were times Ignis wondered if his friend had a traumatizing paper cut incident in his youth. They were nasty little things. Fortunately, Ignis' gloves helped protect him from the razor sharp edges of the dozens of papers he handled daily.

He got his container of food and proceeded to resume his lunch in peace.

* * *

There was still a good seven hours before Ignis was scheduled to meet up with Gladiolus, which meant he had to find a way to pass the time. Fortunately, or perhaps not, work was there to make sure that he was never without things to do. In a rare show of mercy by fate, the current day's tasks were all finished by mid morning and no new problems had arrived to render all of his efforts pointless. He had a new goal now, one that was not strictly necessary, but he would be remiss to not accomplish anyway. Namely, finding out what had gone wrong with both his plans for the Tenebraean diplomats' visit and with the Duscae Farmers Relief Effort.

The door to his office opened and Prompto poked his head in. "Hey, Ignis, you said you needed my help?"

"I did," Ignis acknowledged, using a hand to beckon him inside. "I need some help to go through these reports and Sera is currently out working on another assignment as my agent."

"Wow, it sounds so...cool, when you put it like that," Prompto said. "Even though it's probably just some boring stuff like phone calls." Catching a glance at the papers on Ignis' desk, Prompto balked slightly. "But why me?"

Ignis didn't answer for a few seconds, busy reordering a small pile of papers in his hands. "For several reasons. First of all, you are already familiar with the situation." He had explained them to Prompto during their times together, usually when they prepared and ate dinner. "Second, your schedule matched up nicely to mine, making you a convenient choice. Marshal Leonis was quite understanding and said he could spare you for a few hours. Third, you have an incredible eye for detail, which is exactly what I need at this moment."

Prompto shyly rubbed the back of his neck at the praise. Ignis purposefully looked down to pick up a small stack of papers, using it to point at a chair that had been pulled up to the other side of the desk. He handed the papers to Prompto as he sat down.

The fourth, unsaid reason was that Ignis wanted an excuse to spend more time with him. It was not a reason Ignis himself was entirely aware of.

After taking a moment to flip through the pages, Prompto looked up. "What am I looking at and what do you need me to do with it?"

Ignis reached into a drawer and pulled out a small calculator, sliding it across the desk to Prompto. "This is the itemized report that I was given for the Duscae Farmers Relief Effort." It was written by Felicia and turned in two weeks later than she said it was going to be done. "I would like you to go over everything and verify that everything checks out." Ignis had done it himself and found the numbers added up, but there was something about the report that bothered him and he couldn't identify what it was. Hence, he needed a second set of eyes to look over it.

"Sounds easy enough," Prompto commented as he took the calculator and pressed the on button. He looked down at the cover page of the report and started reading it in earnest, starting with the memo stapled to the top then moving to the summary page.

"Would you like a drink?" Ignis asked, and Prompto accepted a cup of coffee from him and it wasn't long before he was holding the report in one hand and using the other to take sips from the disposable paper cup and flip pages with the other. He was already completely absorbed in his task and for a moment, Ignis couldn't help but think that perhaps Prompto could be suited for desk work if he ever decided to go that direction.

Not that he believed he ever would, of course. Prompto was someone who should be active and moving, doing things that kept him engaged, not confined to a desk for hours on end. The responsibilities and duties Prompto held now suited him perfectly and Ignis wouldn't want him to change them. Ever since he became a Crownsguard, Prompto was thriving, having come a long way since his high school days. His progress was extraordinary and his levels of competency were incredible.

Attractive, even.

Ignis realized he was staring and pried his eyes away from Prompto to start on his own task. Fortunately, Prompto didn't seem to notice, still scanning the papers in his hand, brows creased in intense concentration. It was adorable.

 _Work, Scientia,_ he thought to himself. _Work._

He was tackling the other issue of the mysterious cancelled hotel reservation. Simply put, he found it very suspicious that not only were the rooms cancelled without explanation, but they had been immediately rebooked afterward. They were the most expensive rooms in the Galbadia Hotel. Even during the busiest of seasons those rooms often went vacant due to the extravagant prices for what was already an expensive hotel. Sure, it was entirely possible that they were a set of unrelated unfortunate circumstances, but the chances of it happening? Well, they were lower than the chances that Noctis would eat his vegetables without complaint.

He took a piece of paper that had all of his notes about the incident and read it over. The facts he was able to uncover were these: the rooms were not cancelled as a result of a computer malfunction. Nor was it the result of employee error on the part of the hotel. Due to how their booking system was set up, an employee would have to had gone out of their way to access the availability of the rooms in question. Therefore, it was a deliberate act. There was no reason whatsoever for any employee there to do this to him. In all of his dealings with the Galbadia Hotel and its staff, Ignis was nothing less than polite and respectful. As a representative of the crown, he was considered a very important customer. The receptionist he had spoken to said that the rooms were cancelled as a result of a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Citadel, meaning this was either a mistake on somebody's part or a deliberate act of sabotage. She said that she didn't remember the call very well, but she was pretty sure the caller was a woman.

Assuming it even was a member of Citadel staff and not someone trying to pose as one, that narrowed down the potential identity of the mysterious caller to...roughly half of the Citadel.

No, not half the Citadel. It had to be someone who both knew about the visit _and_ knew of his plans. That cut the list of potential subjects even further to only the people who worked directly under him. It also further reduced the chances that it was someone on the outside as well. From that point forward, Ignis was going to work under the assumption that it was a woman who directly worked for him.

That still left a good amount of people, so Ignis started by finding a directory of Citadel staff workers and flipping to his department going through the names. There were ten women under his direction. Now he was getting somewhere. But this was where he hit another wall. He had to find a way to make this list of ten smaller. Preferably to one. Just to be certain he hadn't forgotten any possibilities, he flipped through the directory, briefly skimming the pages for the names of any individuals who may have also possibly been involved. He found none.

"Hey, Ignis?" Prompto's voice asked, cutting through his thoughts like a knife. "Ignis, sorry to bother you but, uh? This here? I was cross checking the prices for all the things listed here and everything's wrong?"

"What do you mean, Prompto?" Ignis asked, and he kind of hoped that Prompto would stop saying everything as a question. He stood up from his chair and walked around his desk and leaned over so he could look at the report while listening to his friend at the same time.

"Like, all the math checks out," Prompto said, pointing to the calculator on the desk. "But the starting values don't. Look at this. The price of the vehicles that were purchased to transport supplies. I looked them up and the prices listed here are like, all five thousand higher than they should be." The next thing Ignis knew, Prompto had pulled out his phone and was tip tapping away on it before all of a sudden, shoving it directly into Ignis' face. On the screen was the exact make of truck in question along with the manufacturer's price. Ignis looked from the phone to the report and found that Prompto was right: the price of the vehicle had been inflated for no apparent reason.

Ignis took the report from Prompto, which was now covered in handwriting detailing all the incorrect pricing. Every single item he found was listed for higher than it was supposed to be. A few checks to some of the ones Prompto didn't get to found that some of those were also wrong as well.

One incorrect pricing was just an error. Several, however, was deliberate.

"How did you catch this?" Ignis asked, still absorbing the truth of the matter.

"There was a price here for a camera that was bought to document the process," Prompto said, pointing to one of the items listed in the report. "Except I know this brand and it was like, double what it was supposed to cost. No way an Esthar costs that much. So I got curious and started checking the other stuff too."

Ignis wanted to laugh. He had been so focused on making sure everything calculated correctly, he hadn't even considered the possibility that the very foundations of the report itself were incorrect. Leave it to Prompto to view things in a way he couldn't. And leave it to Prompto to discover the one thing he was an expert on and using it to find the solution.

"Prompto," he said instead of laughing. "You are brilliant." And suddenly, Ignis was acutely aware of how close they were. He could feel the heat radiating from Prompto's body and knew that if he just turned his head to the right, ever so slightly, his lips would brush against Prompto's cheek.

Ignis pulled back and stood up straight, trying to will his breath to be steady and his heart to slow down to normal rates. He chanced a look at Prompto, who was still seated in the chair and had his gaze unmistakably firmly affixed on him. Ignis couldn't read his expression or, more accurately, he refused to do it. He refused to look, afraid of what he might find. Afraid of what he wouldn't find. Afraid of what he would trick himself into seeing.

"Does that mean I helped?" Prompto asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them, and Ignis could only smile and tell himself he couldn't throw himself at Prompto, envelop him in a hug, and pepper his face with kisses.

"More than you realize," he said, unable to prevent a hint of affection seeping into his voice. It grew softer, quieter, an entirely unconscious move on his fault. "Thank you, Prompto. You've helped me so much," he continued and Ignis shut his mouth, knowing that he needed to stop talking without thinking first. It took a lot of willpower to not attempt to strangle himself to keep from saying things that he could not allow to escape. He gathered his thoughts and all but pushed those forbidden things deeper within himself. "You should head home now. I'm sure Noct is anxiously awaiting your return."

Prompto turned his head away. "Yeah. Home," he said, sounding deflated and reluctant. "That's...yeah, I should go now before it gets too late." He stood up from the chair, the legs scraping across the floor with the action. It sounded much too loud for what it was. "Night, Ignis," he said, giving him a tired looking smile before shuffling out the door.

Ignis watched the door to his office long after it had closed. His feet felt heavy in his shoes and he felt rooted to the spot he was standing in, as if he wouldn't be able to move even if he wanted to.

His phone, which had been left on his desk, rang, and suddenly his feet moved with ease as he made an entirely unnecessary dash to answer it by the second ring. In his haste, he had nearly dropped it, but he managed to keep hold of it, pausing briefly only to look at the name of the contact before swiping to answer the call.

"Yes, hello, Sera," he said, once again taking a seat in his usual chair, crossing his legs. "Did you get the information?" He paused to listen to the reply, smiling when the answer was favorable. "Excellent. I have a new assignment for you: I want you to pull the expense reports for the following completed projects..."

* * *

Ignis left the Citadel at exactly seven in the evening. He assumed that he would need a little bit of extra time to find the place where Gladiolus wanted to meet. It was in a part of Insomnia he been to before, but hadn't returned to for quite some time.

It looked much the same as how he remembered it: bright lights, faint music and interesting shops along the streets.

The frozen yogurt place was new, however.

As he walked down the streets, it was as if an old memory had resurfaced, like he was remembering a skill he had learned in childhood that was just coming back to him. He remembered the names of streets before he even saw the street signs identifying them and recalled the name of a small, modest theater as he walked past it.

As usual, ordinary citizens stopped to gawk at him, and in return, Ignis quickly observed them back, taking note of their clothes, their hair, and other things about them. It seemed only fair that if he was going to be scrutinized, he would do the same back.

It didn't take him as long as he thought it would to find the destination, arriving early with fifteen minutes to spare. Ignis stopped to check and then double check that he had the correct address before entering the building. He stopped to look around and he wondered how Gladiolus found this place and more importantly, why he had chosen it for their meeting.

The answers to both of those questions could only be gotten from the man himself, so Ignis had no choice but to wait. He made his way to the bar, ignoring the very obvious whispers from the other patrons that were very clearly about him.

What was Ignis Scientia, royal advisor to the Crown Prince, doing in a place like this?

Ignis wondered, bitterly, where exactly people expected him to be. Living in the Citadel all the time? While he did have a private room there, he couldn't live there permanently. He would go mad. Noctis wasn't the only one who had yearnings for something that resembled an ordinary, normal life.

Ignis didn't have anything resembling an ordinary, normal life, but he liked to pretend he did. Living in an apartment outside of the Citadel helped support those delusions.

Ordering a strong drink, Ignis carried the glass with him to a table tucked away in a relatively quiet corner of the establishment. He already knew there was no truly quiet place here: music could be heard no matter where you were, but this spot was far away from the more busy areas of the establishment and it would be easy to hold a conversation without having to shout.

There was still ten minutes to go before eight, so Ignis decided to start drinking, one hand wrapped around his glass while resting his head in the other, propped up on the table and his legs crossed. He heard footsteps approaching his table and he opened his eyes, expecting to see Gladiolus, but was instead greeted by the sight of a stranger.

"Hi, um..." the stranger started, but never finished the sentence.

"I'm waiting for someone," Ignis said, bluntly. The stranger looked disappointed for a second, then turned around and left. Ignis closed his eyes again before lifting his drink to his lips for another sip. Although he preferred coffee to alcohol and was never one for drinking to excess, he did appreciate a light buzz every now and then. When he spent most of his time consuming stimulants, a depressant every now and then helped him unwind at the end of the day, although his drink of choice was usually wine.

They didn't serve wine here, but that was fine. He wasn't a picky man. Sometimes the less refined things in life were exactly what you needed, and this was one of those times.

Ignis' thoughts wandered as he waited for Gladiolus to arrive. They drifted to his job and the day's events and the revelation that he had been made a fool by one of his own underlings. After piecing everything together, he mentally chastised himself for not seeing it sooner. It was so obvious in retrospect. As observant as he was, there were times where he would miss things that sat blatantly in front of his face. It was rather embarrassing whenever he needed to have such things pointed out to him.

His mind wandered to the future. Even if Ignis now had all the answers he had been looking for regarding the mysterious troubles at work, that still didn't change the fact that things were upended beyond repair. Regardless of what he had learned, that didn't change the fact that the relief effort went over budget and that the Tenebraean diplomats would be spending their stay in Insomnia in a gaudy gambling hotel. There was nothing more he could do other than hope those turned out alright. If they didn't, he would have a lot to answer for.

He thought about Insomnia and the Wall. About the single suspended bridge that led out of the city and into the open country of the kingdom.

The phone in his pocket buzzed and Ignis put his glass down to pull it out, slowly opening his eyes to look at the screen. A message from Gladiolus was on there, saying he had arrived. Ignis sent a reply telling him where to find him before locking the screen and putting the phone back in his pocket. A few minutes later, at 8:03, Gladiolus Amicitia had finally arrived.

"Hey, Iggy," Gladiolus said and as soon as Ignis returned the greeting, he continued. "Gonna grab a drink first. Save my seat for me."

"I've been saving it for the past thirteen minutes," Ignis told Gladiolus' retreating back. He watched with no interest as Gladiolus made his way to the bar to order a drink and idly, recalled their conversation from that afternoon. Gladiolus had called him out here because something was bothering him and he either needed advice, a shoulder to cry on, or both. Ignis wondered which it would be and was once again brimming to curiosity as to what the issue was.

To get a drink, Gladiolus had to wait in line behind a few other customers before he could place his order and Ignis passed the time by drinking more and pondered the possibilities. Perhaps Gladiolus was going to ask him the wisdom of trying to get back together with an ex. Perhaps he wanted to vent about the various pressures of the Amicitia family. Or perhaps he just wanted to complain because his favorite flavor of Cup Noodle had been discontinued. Not that Ignis would know anything about that. He didn't pay attention to cheap instant noodles and was truthfully unaware if Gladiolus even _had_ a favorite flavor of Cup Noodle. The man seemed to be equally passionate about all of them. He had made Ignis try all of them once. They all tasted the same to him.

Finally, at last, Gladiolus was returning to their table. The entire thing had only taken a few minutes, but it felt like ages to Ignis.

"Thanks for coming out here on such short notice," Gladiolus said as he took his seat. "I hadn't decided for sure if I wanted to do this until I was right outside your door. It was a spur of the moment thing."

Ignis finished the last drop of his drink before placing his now empty glass on the table. He looked from the glass then up to Gladiolus, looking him straight in the eye as he said his response.

"I'm in love with Prompto."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was so much thirst like damn


	11. Stupid Complicated

The only thing Gladiolus could do was stare at Ignis, who broke their eye contact to gaze at his empty glass on the table. Of all the things he had expected Ignis to say to him, that definitely wasn't one of them. He was speechless for a moment, replaying those five words in his head over and over, understanding them, understanding what it meant, but he continued to turn them over in his mind.

 _I'm in love with Prompto,_ Ignis had said. When Ignis told him he had something he wanted to get off his chest, Gladiolus wasn't expecting an abrupt, totally random love confession. It was jarring and, if the look on Ignis' face was any indication, completely spontaneous on his part and he got the feeling that it wasn't what Ignis had intended to say.

Well, he said it.

 _I'm in love with Prompto._ The words hung in the air between them like an invisible cloud. Gladiolus had no idea how much time had passed since the words had tumbled from Ignis' mouth, but he knew he was the one who was going to have to say something, but try as he might, he couldn't think of a proper response. What do you say to your best friend, a guy who normally held his feelings hidden even from you, when he just let his rawest and most delicate emotions slip?

Gladiolus looked down at his drink, full and untouched, and passed it to Ignis. "Here. You look like you need it. But next time, warn a guy before you drop something like that."

Ignis let out a sound that Gladiolus assumed was a cross between a laugh and a sob before accepting the drink, bringing it up to his lips and gulping down an entire mouthful.

"For gods' sake, Iggy, pace yourself," Gladiolus scolded, but wasn't entirely surprised by what he had just seen. It wasn't often Ignis fell for people, but when he did, he fell _hard_. Still, he didn't think he'd ever seen such a strong reaction from Ignis before. Poor guy must have had it bad.

"You know it takes far more than that to get me drunk," Ignis growled, putting the glass down next to his empty one. Gladiolus knew, or at least he knew that Ignis was good at pretending to not be drunk until the alcohol became too much. "I apologize, Gladio. I didn't mean to do that. This was supposed to be about you. Let me pay you for a replacement drink."

"It's fine," Gladiolus reassured him. If Ignis needed to tell someone about these feelings he's been nursing for Prompto Argentum, he was just glad it was him. He didn't want Ignis to suffer in romantic agony the way he did. The way he currently was. "Actually, it's kind of reassuring to hear," he continued and Ignis watched him with doubtful eyes. He could understand why.

 _I'm in love with Prompto._ Those words had nothing to do with Gladiolus, yet he clung to them like a lifeline. They gave him hope and direction. Ignis held out something his hand, money for a new drink, and he accepted it, because he knew there was no refusing it. When Gladiolus returned with a new drink, he asked, "So, how long?"

"I'm...unsure," Ignis said, and Gladiolus found that hard to believe at first. This was Ignis. Ignis was sure of everything he said and did. Ignis' green eyes looked back up into his own and a measure of confidence returned to his friend's voice. Now that they had taken the initial plunge, there was nothing left for Ignis to feel like he needed to hide. "I've only become aware of it in these in past couple weeks, but I doubt it's been that short of a time span, nor that it suddenly appeared out of nowhere."

Which made sense. Gladiolus knew that Ignis and Prompto's friendship had deepened as of late, but they had been slowly growing closer over the years ever since they first met, a gradual progression rather than a sudden sprint.

"Perhaps I've been in love with him for months, possibly years, and simply only now just realized it," Ignis said, deciding that was to be the final answer.

Gladiolus took a sip of his drink and looked at Ignis with amusement. "Ramuh's immaculately maintained glorious beard, Iggy, could you stop reading my mind for one minute?"

Ignis' face twisted to one of confusion. "Excuse me? I don't understand what you're saying, Gladio."

"Didn't expect you to," Gladiolus said, putting his glass down. "Here, let me tell you about why I asked you out here tonight."

* * *

A cellphone had never looked so terrifying in his life. Gladiolus' hands were shaking as he reached out to tap the unread messages on his screen, holding his breath as the phone took a few seconds to load it up.

> **Cyrus:** Gladio?
> 
> **Cyrus:** Are you okay?
> 
> **Cyrus:** I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry

He couldn't believe it. Gladiolus had shoved the guy away, almost knocking him down after he had kissed him without warning, and Cyrus was _apologizing_ to him!? The messages had only served to make him feel worse about what he had done. Astrals have mercy, he was such a huge asshole the previous night. He forced himself to man up and send a reply, saying he was the one who should apologize. Everything he had done was wrong and the blame lay solely with him.

It was time he started facing the facts and own up to his actions. It was time he stopped trying to pretend that this was just some temporary weirdness that was going to pass. Because he already knew it wasn't.

> **Cyrus:** It's fine
> 
> **Cyrus:** I guess it was a shock to you as much as it was to me
> 
> **Cyrus:** You said you weren't gay then all of a sudden you're kissing me

Gladiolus wished Cyrus would get mad at him. Yell at him, call him names, reaffirm his current belief that he was a piece of shit. Instead he was met with understanding and kindness. It was almost too much to bear. He let the arm holding his phone flop down onto the bed, needing a moment to wrestle his thoughts and emotions into submission before sending a reply. That maybe he was kind of gay? Just a little bit? Did that count as bisexual? He didn't know.

He was hopelessly lost in a brand new world. Just last night he was a straight guy who stumbled into a gay nightclub just to have fun and now he was a...what was he? It would be nice if someone could tell him the answer. Where was Ignis when you needed him? His phone beeped, indicating a reply.

> **Cyrus:** I'm not mad at you
> 
> **Cyrus:** Actually, I'm kind of honored
> 
> **Cyrus:** I admit I only started talking to you because you're hot
> 
> **Cyrus:** But you seem like a cool guy
> 
> **Cyrus:** Can we still be friends?

And Cyrus still wanted to be friends? Gladiolus prayed for Bahamut to strike him down. However, the Draconian had better things to do with his time than pay attention to grown men having emotional breakdowns like hover inside a crystal dimension for all of eternity and thus his prayer went unanswered.

> **Gladiolus:** Yeah. We can b friends

* * *

It was not as strange to restart their friendship from square one as Gladiolus feared it might be. They had only known each other for less than a day, so all it took was a repeat of introductions and an agreement to not let what happened that night affect their relationship. A few days later, they met up to have lunch together near Cyrus' school. As it turned out, he was a valuable conversation partner for Gladiolus to try to sort himself out with.

He asked Cyrus all sorts of personal questions. When did he realize he was gay? Did anyone else know? How did friends and family react? What was it like to date men? Was it normal to be straight then suddenly realize that you're into guys? Could he even see out of his left eye? Cyrus couldn't answer everything. He didn't know how dating men was different from dating women as he had been into guys from the beginning. But what he could tell Gladiolus was useful. Also yes, he could see out of his left eye.

"I don't think it's weird," Cyrus had said to the second-to-last question with a shrug. His one visible eye looked up to the ceiling in deep thought. "People change as they go throughout life. I know a few people who thought they were into one for a while, then realized they were also into the other. Some changed preferences entirely. There's no rule saying you only get to pick one and commit have to it for the rest of your life. That's what dating's all about, isn't it?"

It made sense.

"Can I ask you something?" Cyrus asked. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Seeing as Gladiolus had just spent fifteen minutes bombarding him with questions, he thought it was fair. "Shoot."

"You said something weird before you ran off that night," Cyrus said. They had long finished their food and cleaned off their table, but they were still deep in conversation. "Something like, "Not I?" I don't know. It was weird and it's been bugging me all this time."

Gladiolus had to think back to the previous night and try to remember what he had said. Not I? Cyrus must have misheard, because Gladiolus knew he definitely didn't talk that way, even when he was in a panic.

Not I.

Knocked I.

Noct I.

Noct, I.

 _Oh,_ he had thought. _Oh, shit._ He was so wrapped up in what he had done in before running away from the club that the hadn't given any thought to what he had said. "Yeah, about that..." he started. And it was going to sound bad. Bad enough that their no judgment agreement may have to be broken and he wouldn't blame Cyrus if he did. "I haven't told you this, but you look a lot like someone I know. His name's Noct. You could probably pass yourself off as him if you just did your hair a little differently."

There were some differences, of course. Cyrus' skin was a little paler than Noctis'. His eyes were a darker blue. The people who knew Noctis well would be able to tell the difference. But to the average citizen? Cyrus could probably fool most of them easily.

Cyrus leaned back in his chair, his head turned upward and his hands folded neatly on his chest. The long bangs that normally obscured his left eye had slid to the side giving Gladiolus his first look at the young man's entire face. He was young. Good looking. Apparently went clubbing every weekend.

It was kind of surprising he was single.

"That explains a lot," Cyrus said after a few seconds of deliberation. "Actually, that explains everything. This Noct guy, he's the one you like, huh?"

It was something Gladiolus knew. He had known it for a while, but had refused to acknowledge it. He had done everything to just keep it to a feeling and not put it into words, not even in his own mind. He thought that if it just remained a feeling that it would go away. If that feeling were to become words, even words that were left unspoken, they would be permanently etched into his being. Instead, he left it unattended and allowed it to fester and grow out of control, resulting in the mess that was that night at the Curia nightclub.

It wasn't all that bad, however, as he was walking away from it with a new friend. A friend who, because Gladiolus had refused to put his feelings into words, did it for him and thrust them into his face.

"...yeah," he admitted after a pause. "You got it. I went to Curia because I thought it would help me take my mind off him."

"Except I was there," Cyrus supplied, returning his gaze to eye level.

Gladiolus shook his head. "No. If it wasn't you, it probably would have been someone else." Someone who maybe didn't look so much like Noctis, but still resembled him in one way or another, either physically or in personality. "I was really messed up that night. And that was before I had anything to drink."

In a way, he was lucky that he manhandled a completely easygoing guy. It seemed like nothing fazed him and he'd just smile and reply in that calm voice of his.

"Are you going to tell him you like him?" Cyrus asked.

There was no reply at first. Was he? Gladiolus didn't even know which way Noctis swung. As far as he knew, the prince was completely uninterested in romance, although he didn't know if that was due to his preferences or due to his station in life. And he didn't know if it would be better if Noctis did or didn't know. At last, he said, "I don't know. I've been avoiding him for the past few days and I don't know when I can face him again."

"How long have you liked him?"

Gladiolus didn't know the answer to that either. He could say it was since the night Noctis insisted on using him as a pillow, but he thought that was wrong. As a man who's been in the dating scene for a long time, he knew the difference between simple infatuation and deeper feelings. Sure, he had gotten pretty attached to his romantic partners, but it never happened in the span of just a few hours. He wasn't _that_ desperate or pathetic.

"It's okay if you don't know," Cyrus said. "This stuff's stupid complicated."

That he could agree on.

* * *

It wasn't long before Gladiolus decided he couldn't ignore Noctis any longer. The buzzes and vibrations of his phone seemed to get more and more needy every time he received a new message from Noctis. His guilt and his desire to see Noctis again slowly whittled away at his fears and insecurity until he could ignore them no longer.

Cyrus encouraged him to contact him. He was there when Gladiolus sent his first message to Noctis in days and he was there as Gladiolus made plans to see him again.

"Training? Paint?" Cyrus asked in a monotone voice as he read the messages over Gladiolus' shoulder. "You're weird."

"That's rich, coming from you," Gladiolus snorted, using a hand to push the curious boy away. "Anyone ever tell you not to read other people's texts without permission?"

Cyrus was there the next day too, as one last bit of moral support before Gladiolus had to face Noctis again. He stayed until 7:50 in the evening, ten minutes before Noctis was supposed to arrive at the Amicitia residence. He said goodbye with a wave and a "good luck," before leaving the front door to make his way to the nearby subway station.

Gladiolus waited in the dining room, body going stiff when he heard Jared answer the door to let Noctis in. He willed himself to relax. What he needed to do was treat Noctis normally like he used to. It was difficult to tell over text, but Noctis seemed like he was going through a rough time and what the prince desperately needed was fun.

This wasn't a night for heavy confessions or anything like that. It was just for hanging out and getting up to mischief.

Noctis could be moody and fickle, no, he was pretty much always moody and fickle, but that was part of his charm and beneath that was a sensitive man who was struggling with burdens placed on him by both Lucian society and himself. Gladiolus didn't understand it, he couldn't even pretend to understand it, but as both his friend and the bodyguard sworn to protect him, he had an overwhelming desire to try to do something about it.

Despite his promise-slash-threat that they were going to train, Gladiolus forgot all about it as he got wrapped up in painting the training equipment with Noctis. He usually wasn't one for pranks and had originally suggested it purely for the prince's benefit, but when Noctis laughed and smiled, he forgot all about training as the two of them painted faces and words all over the training equipment in black paint.

Seeing Noctis happy made Gladiolus happy. The Crown Prince's genuine smiles and laughs were a rare gift given only to those he truly felt comfortable around. Gladiolus felt honored to be able to see them, feelings or no feelings. He forgot all about his inner turmoil, instead just enjoying the time he got to spend with Noctis. It was as if he got to, belatedly, enjoy the immature joys of being a teenager that he had missed out on due to the training he had to receive to become worthy of the title King's Shield and the being the heir of the Amicitia family legacy.

Make no mistake, he was nothing less than proud to carry his family's name on his shoulders, but it was also a struggle. First, it was the primary reason he had troubles with his numerous girlfriends over the years and now it complicated his relationship with Noctis.

Not that harboring feelings for the Crown Prince was ever easy, this just added an extra layer of complicated to the entire thing. Gladiolus didn't like complicated things. He enjoyed the simple things in life like training, camping, and Cup Noodles. So, idly, he had to wonder why he had chosen such a complicated person to have affection for.

To use a word from his new friend, things were just stupid sometimes.

When Gladiolus tried to clean a dab of paint off Noctis' cheek, it was meant only to be a helpful and friendly platonic gesture. It turned out to be anything but. He had unconsciously used the same move he used on women he was interested and once he had done it, it was all he could think about. Not only that, the only thing he managed to do was smear the paint all over Noctis' face.

Noctis seemed to see it too, judging by the way the prince had dipped his fingers in paint and used it as an excuse to touch Gladiolus' chest.

Did that mean anything?

Could Noctis possibly be interested back in him?

To prevent himself from doing anything he may possibly regret, Gladiolus cut the night off there, accompanying Noctis back to his apartment with an eerily silent subway train ride. And when they got back, the worst and most confusing thing had happened.

Noctis thanked him for the "date" before practically running into his apartment and shutting the door in Gladiolus' face.

"You're welcome?" Gladiolus said to the door, ten seconds too late.

* * *

Ignis sat quietly in his seat, eyes closed in what Gladiolus hoped was deep thought and not his friend about to drift off to sleep. Even with strong alcohol in his system, Ignis didn't forget his manners. Suddenly, his friend's green eyes opened and he crossed his arms, looking straight at Gladiolus with a deadpan expression.

"Gladiolus Amicitia," Ignis finally said. "Did you just take thirty minutes to essentially just tell me that one, you are bisexual and two, you have feelings for Noct?"

When he put it that way, yes. Yes, he did. The entire point of Gladiolus telling Ignis about everything that happened ever since Noctis fell asleep on him boiled down to those two statements.

"You seem awfully calm about it, Ignis Scientia," he responded. "You're not going to yell at me about boundaries or inappropriateness or anything?"

Ignis responded by taking another sip of his drink. "I am not intoxicated enough to not realize the immense hypocrisy of doing so." He paused, looking around the establishment they were in and the clientele that frequented it, then closed his eyes to appreciate the music humming throughout the building. "It also made your choice of meeting at a gay nightclub make much more sense."

Gladiolus gave a nervous chukle. He didn't know if he had wanted Ignis to read too much in his choice of venue or not. He had chosen Curia as their meeting place for two main reasons: one, because the chances of running into anyone they knew from the Citadel were low and two, because he wanted to make his peace with it. Curia had done him no wrong. He still thought it was a pretty cool place to party a Friday night away.

"I'll drink to that," Gladiolus agreed, raising his glass into the air.

"Are you proposing a toast?" Ignis asked, not waiting for an answer as he did the same.

"To us," Gladiolus said with a forced laugh. "A couple of idiotic losers."

"To us," Ignis echoed. "Professionals in making ourselves miserable."

"To us," Gladiolus repeated, clinking his glass against Ignis'. "With our shitty taste in men."

Ignis immediately withdrew his arm and glass with it. "No," he said before finishing off the rest of the glass. "That's just you."

"And I think you've had enough to drink for one night," Gladiolus said, reaching over to take the empty glass away from Ignis, who refused to let him have it despite the fact that it was completely drained of any and all alcohol.

"I won't hear a single bad word about Prompto," Ignis insisted.

Yep, he had it bad.

"So, are you going to tell me what the hell Prompto did to make you head over heels for him, or...?" Gladiolus prompted, giving up on trying to take the glass from Ignis.

In response, Ignis put the glass gently down on the table. "No. Just because you are incapable of talking about your feelings without dragging it out into an extended story, it doesn't mean I have to do it as well."

"Now that's just not fair," Gladiolus argued.

"Fair does not mean you get access to the private affairs between Prompto and I," Ignis responded. "Although I will assure you it did not involve anything as needlessly dramatic as going out and kissing a stranger that looks like Prompto. You watch far too many soap operas, Gladio."

Gladiolus glared at him across the table. "Leave my soaps out of this." He sighed as he slumped forward. "What are we gonna do, Iggy?"

"I don't know," Ignis admitted, bowing his head forward. "As if we don't have enough to deal with concerning our respective predicaments of lovelorn pining, we also have to keep in mind the codes of conduct we are bound to." Gladiolus watched Ignis as he took a deep breath. "Every day we are restricted and confined by what's expected of us. Duties and responsibilities that weigh us down as we shuffle to and fro day in and day out within the city walls."

It wasn't the kind of talk that Gladiolus expected from Ignis. Ignis was the decorum and traditions guy. He had always been under the impression that he lived for this kind of stuff. Did Ignis change because he had fallen in love with Prompto, or did it turn out that Gladiolus didn't know his friend as well as he thought he did?

"Then maybe it's time we stop shuffling," Gladiolus said, finishing off the rest of his drink. "Why don't you tell Prompto how you feel about him?"

Ignis seemed to ponder the suggestion, although Gladiolus couldn't tell if it was seriously or not. "Perhaps I will, if you will do the same for Noct."

The possibility of telling Noctis was, in a word, frightening. Gladiolus had often made fun of the prince's somewhat scrawny physique, but for just a moment, Noctis seemed like the most intimidating person on the planet.

"I'm going to get another drink," he said. "Want anything?"

"I thought you were cutting me off," Ignis pointed out, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. Of course Ignis had seen right through that. "But as long as you're going up there, I would appreciate an appletini."

"Are you serious, Iggy?"

"Appletini, Gladio." Ignis' smirk only grew wider, shooing him off with a gloved hand. "Go order one for me."

"You're one cruel bastard, you know that?" Gladiolus growled, but stood up to head for the bar anyway. As he stood in line, he thought about the conversation between them just now. It was already enough of an ordeal to admit to himself that he had a thing for Noctis. And now Ignis was suggesting he go confessing it already?

_I'm in love with Prompto._

The words just couldn't leave Gladiolus' head as he waited for the bartender to get the drinks ready. They replayed in his mind over and over as he carried them back to the table, nearly slammed the martini glass down in front of Ignis, saying "Here's your goddamn appletini, you asshole."

"Why thank you, my dear Gladio," Ignis said, picking up the drink to taste it and Gladiolus still wasn't sure if Ignis actually liked them or if he had just wanted to make Gladiolus order it. In public. In front of other people.

Gladiolus muttered something under his breath.

"Pardon me," Ignis said. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I said," Gladiolus took a deep breath and repeated himself. "I'm in love with Noct."

Ignis smiled.


	12. Expectation, Possibility, Reality

Prompto was still angry the day after he fought with Noctis. The next morning, he had stalked out of his room only to hear the tentative sound of a door opening. Prompto had turned around to see the door to Noctis' room halfway open with its owner peeking out. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Noctis averted his gaze and closed the door again.

During the day, Prompto had worked out his anger in training when, in an unexpected move, he kicked Gladiolus' legs out from under him during a spar then pinned his friend's right arm behind his back with one hand and used the other to push Gladiolus' face into the training mat.

"Hey, not bad," Gladiolus praised, then bucked him off with a moderate amount of effort. "You're finally learning to play to your strengths, Prompto."

"You think so?" Prompto asked, pushing himself off the floor and rubbing a sore spot on his arm where he had been struck earlier.

"I know so," Gladiolus insisted, giving him a friendly, gentle bump in the shoulder. "You didn't need to use so much force though. You could have tripped me with less. Work more on conserving energy in a fight. You don't wanna extend yourself too much in case you get into a long brawl."

Prompto promised to work on that. After a shower to soothe his aching muscles, Prompto thought about the previous night. Noctis had so much to deal with every day and Prompto only had to worry about keeping up with his Crownsguard duties and getting good grades in school. He had told himself a long time ago that he'd never get mad at Noctis, because Noctis was his best friend and Noctis had it hard. Except getting mad was exactly what Prompto did last night. He had yelled, snapped, and hurt Noctis with his words. At the time, it had felt good.

Now, afterwards, it was the worst feeling in the world. He replayed the scene word for word in his head and Prompto couldn't believe he said half the things he did. What right did he have to get mad at the Crown Prince? What right did he have to say he had it hard? Prompto spent a moment in the empty locker room sitting on one of the benches completely still.

He had brought up King Regis during his ranting. That was a low blow and he was ashamed of it.

When Prompto returned home that evening, he found Noctis playing video games on the couch. When Noctis noticed him, he paused, saved his game, and immediately quit before standing up to leave the room.

"Noct, wait," Prompto called, reaching out to grab Noctis' wrist. "We gotta talk." With a light tug, he pulled his roommate back to the couch and made him sit beside him before letting go of Noctis' arm. "So, uh, I was kind of a dick last night. And this morning."

"Yeah, you were," Noctis agreed, and Prompto flinched at the words. The prince sat back against the back of the couch. "But I was too. For a lot longer."

"I still shouldn't have yelled at you like that," Prompto replied.

"It's fine," Noctis reassured him, although he sounded a bit distant, making Prompto wonder if that was really the case. "Look, I'm trying to say I'm sorry here. Stop trying to ruin my apology."

Prompto forced a laugh. "Alright. I'll shut up now."

Noctis cleared his throat. "Okay, um. Prompto, I'm sorry I was a total douchebag to you. I was wrong for not being there for you when you needed me because I was too wrapped up in my own bullshit. Please don't stop being my friend."

In response, Prompto reached over to pull Noctis into a hug. "Don't be silly. I'm not going to stop being friends with you just because we had one little fight."

Noctis muttered something and when Prompto asked him to repeat it, he didn't.

They sat like that for a moment in the silence of the apartment on their absurdly relaxing couch. For Prompto, it was nice and comfortable. He kind of wished they'd do this more often, but when Noctis pulled away he was reminded that wasn't what their friendship was like. That was not the kind of person Noctis was.

And Prompto shouldn't have expected him to be.

"Guess living together's harder than we thought it would be," Prompto said.

He knew Noctis cared for him deeply and being friends with him was one of the best things in Prompto's life, but Noctis can't provide him with the sense of close affection that he craved. Noctis can't be the one Prompto shared his burdens with and helped him bear them.

Noctis looked over at him, his face painfully neutral. "Yeah, it's not all fun and games, huh? You got class and Crownsguard duty. I gotta do a ton of meaningless royal shit. And when we do see each other, we're both tired and stressed out."

Prompto knew that he was right. They lived together. Slept like, twenty feet away from each other, yet somehow Prompto felt like the two of them had drifted apart. It sucked.

"So, uh," Noctis continued. "I'm gonna give you space, alright? This happened because I was too stupid and overbearing. I won't get mad if you like, I dunno, spend a week at Specs' place or something."

Prompto wanted to tell him that no, that's not what he wanted. But he couldn't bring himself to do so when he saw that Noctis was trying. "Yeah. And I'll be sure to tell you next time."

He'd have to find the closeness he sought elsewhere. Noctis was great to hang out with, but he wasn't someone who could give Prompto the kind of attention he wanted.

"Prompto," Noctis said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Were you listening? I asked if you wanted to watch something. You can pick this time."

With a blink, Prompto's eyes went from looking at nothing in particular to Noctis, to the television, then the game controller in Noctis' hands. "Oh, yeah. Thanks. An action flick sound okay?"

Noctis leaned back in the couch and let out a grunt that sounded kind of like an affirmation, so Prompto used the controller to move to the Action/Adventure section of the streaming service's database to pick something out. Once he had made his choice, he put the game controller down onto the floor before leaning over to rest his upper half on the couch's armrest.

* * *

Things were better after that night. Sometimes Prompto would come home to Noctis saying hello to him and asking him how he was. Prompto would answer accordingly, but he'd always keep it brief and the details sparse. Noctis, bless his princely heart, tried, but Prompto found he couldn't really go into depth the way he wanted to.

It just wasn't easy to talk about sensitive stuff with his best friend, and it looked like to him that Noctis wasn't always comfortable with hearing it either.

But still, he appreciated the effort, even if it wasn't really working out.

Instead, Prompto started taking joy in other things in his life. His grades were good and he was starting to get a lot more recognition for his skills in the Crownsguard. He broke a shooting range record by half a second and Cor, _the Immortal_ , praised him for his improvement with blades after an assessment. The stars even aligned and allowed him to have dinner with his parents for one night.

"Good afternoon, Prompto," Ignis said one day as their paths crossed in the Citadel's halls.

"Hey, Iggy," Prompto smiled. "You're looking good today." He didn't know if Ignis was getting more sleep or if relatively few problems had been happening lately, but his friend seemed more relaxed.

Briefly, Ignis looked stunned before returning to his usual, put together self. "Thank you. The past several days have been quite pleasant."

"So what happened with the relief effort?" Prompto asked. "And with the diplomatic visit that's supposed to happen next month?"

"I submitted your findings to internal affairs," Ignis answered. "They will be investigating the incident. Either way, it's now out of my hands and I needn't worry about it anymore."

 _Your findings._ Prompto shifted self-consciously in place. "You make it sound like it was all me," he said with a laugh. "It was both of us."

Ignis shook his head. "There's no need for modesty, Prompto. I would not have been able to discover the truth were it not for you."

At the words, Prompto could feel his cheeks go a little warm. "Anyway, I gotta go. I'll see you later tonight?" It was Tuesday, after all. The evenings he booked specifically for Ignis. Truth be told, ever since starting this new ritual, Tuesday had become Prompto's favorite day. Before then, it had the distinction of being the least remarkable day of the week.

When he stepped into Ignis' office a few hours later, he found his friend already set to leave for the first time ever. Not once did Ignis hesitate to leave work behind, seemingly not giving it a second thought as he looked up to give Prompto a smile. Prompto didn't even have to ask if he was ready to go. The answer was pretty obviously yes.

"I haven't told you this yet," Prompto said as they left the Citadel and headed for the subway station. "But a while ago, I had a fight with Noct."

Ignis raised his eyebrow as he dug out his transportation pass to scan at the turnstile. "If you don't mind my asking, what about?"

"I guess I was just frustrated," Prompto said as he mimicked the movement. The turnstile beeped and let him through. Before continuing, he looked down as they descended another flight of stairs to reach the subway platform. "He'd been doing a bunch of things that annoyed me and then it came to a head."

"Forgive me if this is presumptuous," Ignis said as they waited with the crowds of ordinary citizens for the train to arrive. "But does this have to do with what that conversation we had about feeling unappreciated?"

Prompto managed a weak smile. Of course Ignis would connect the dots immediately. He was always that sharp. That attentive. "Yeah. I was that obvious, huh?"

"It was not particularly difficult to figure out, no," Ignis agreed. The train arrived and by sheer luck, they managed to grab a pair of open seats. As it turned out, sitting down wasn't as great as they hoped it would be, as it was still rather packed. At least it meant they didn't have to focus so much on keeping their balance.

"There's like, no law against yelling at a member of the royal family, is there?" Prompto joked as the train pulled away from the platform and into the pitch black tunnels below Insomnia's streets. "I'm not gonna be arrested, am I?"

Ignis laughed. "Of course not. Were that the case, Gladio would have been incarcerated ages ago and I would at the very least be on some sort of probationary period."

"You?" Prompto asked, surprised. "Yell at Noct? I don't believe that."

"Oh, come now, Prompto," Ignis scoffed. "I've known Noct for over a decade. I live in a near constant state of stress and over the years Noct has gotten only more and more trying as he grows older. Do you really think I have never once raised my voice against him?"

It was true. Noctis and Ignis have known each other since they were children. But still, Prompto was having trouble picturing it. "But you're Ignis," he said.

"Yes, and Ignis Scientia is as human as any other person," Ignis replied. "I simply have a very high tolerance for frustration. But when I finally hit my limit, I don't exactly deal with it in a healthy manner. As you have seen."

Prompto has seen it. The way Ignis guzzled cheap canned coffee with wild abandon and nearly suffered a breakdown. He's seen Ignis vulnerable, something he knew the other man tried to keep hidden away from everyone else, including Gladiolus and Noctis.

"I just feel bad, you know?" Prompto said. "I said some awful things."

"It's normal for friends to get angry with each other," Ignis said. "Astrals know Gladio and I have butted heads countless times over the years. Frankly, I'm quite surprised that it took this long for it to happen between you and Noctis."

It's been about five years since Prompto became friends with Noctis and they have, technically, known each other for longer. They just didn't formally meet until high school and Prompto was pretty sure Noctis didn't even remember who he was. "Well, yeah, but. He's the Crown Prince, Iggy. It feels like treason. Or at the very least, being a bad friend."

The scratchy train intercom called out their stop and they fought their way through the bulk of uncaring passengers to get out before the doors closed on them.

"On the contrary, Prompto. It would do Noct good to be opposed more often," Ignis said as they walked down the pathways leading to the staircase that would bring them back out to the surface. "Noctis is royalty and with that comes a certain amount of perks and privilege in his life, however the monarchy is only stable as long as it has the confidence of the people. He will need to learn how to properly handle grievances and dissent."

"Are you saying I should fight with him more often?" Prompto asked.

"What I am saying is to let him know when you're upset," Ignis clarified. "As you have probably figured out, our dear Noctis is a bit dense when it comes to both social and emotional subjects. More importantly, it's not good or fair for you, Prompto, to be forced to stew in your own frustrations like that. Do not let his position intimidate you into silence."

"I guess I can do that," Prompto said as they emerged from the underground. The air was crisp and cool, a welcome change from the stale, heavy air of the crowded subway tunnels. The sun had set and given way to night, but the city around them remained illuminated from streetlights and from countless lit windows of Insomnia's buildings. "Then maybe you won't have to listen to me complaining all the time."

They rounded a familiar corner, less than a block away from their destination. The noise of the city grew quieter as they moved away from the busy main street of the area. It was not truly silent. For that, one had to move to the very outskirts of the city, to the industrial areas that shut down at night, but it was pretty close.

"Prompto," Ignis said as they entered the apartment building. "I don't _have_ to listen to your complaining."

The words were as confusing as they were stinging. Prompto couldn't help but feel he had been insulted in a roundabout way. Ignis, however, didn't seem to notice his distress as they passed the doorman and he pressed the button to call the elevator. What felt like an eternity passed by before the ringing of a bell and the opening of the elevator doors. Prompto followed Ignis into the elevator with a shuffle, feeling dejected as Ignis pressed the button for his floor.

"In that case," Prompto sighed. "I won't bother you with them anymore-"

"You misunderstand," Ignis interrupted and Prompto looked up to find his expression not full of contempt or annoyance, but with a gentle fondness that seemed to want to tell him all sorts of things that Ignis couldn't, or perhaps wouldn't, put into words. "I listen to you complain because I _want_ to."

The elevator doors closed.

* * *

They cooked a meal together, a spicy dish that Ignis confessed he had never made before as he pulled out a recipe book from a small collection he kept on a shelf in his pantry. Which Prompto noticed was about twice as large as the pantry at home and he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. It was pretty unfair that he had to sometimes passive aggressively fight Noctis for space to store his goods when Ignis, who lived alone, got to enjoy double the space.

When they finished and washed their plates, Prompto noticed that around the video game console was another new addition, a small notebook that he was sure wasn't there the last time he had visited. He knew, because Ignis' apartment was normally unchanging, making any difference stand out like a sore thumb. He took it in his hands and flipped through it, finding pages full of Ignis' neat handwriting and sketches and charts written in it. Curious, he tried to make sense of them even though he doubted he could.

He was wrong, because it didn't take him long to piece together what everything was written. He saw terms he recognized. Some of the sketches looked an awful lot like maps he had seen in magazines. He noticed a set of symbols he was very familiar with. They were the face buttons on the game controller.

"Ignis," he said, holding up the notebook. "Have you been writing notes on the RPG you've been playing?"

There was no reply at first, but then a single word broke the silence. "Perhaps." Ignis seemed sheepish as he joined Prompto on the couch. "They're a record of my findings while playing, as well as my calcuations for things such as resource management and optimal DPS."

Prompto had to stop himself from laughing. "DPS? I never taught you that term!"

"I...may have been looking up information in my free time."

"Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Prompto said as he scooted closer to Ignis. "It's pretty awesome. So how about we start playing, huh?"

He had said "we," but what really happened was Ignis was the only one who played anything the entire time. Prompto instead just watched, leaning into his friend and feeling a lot more relaxed and comfortable than he had any right to be.

"We're almost done with Assassin's Creed," Prompto said as Ignis made his final save of the night. "Like, one more week. Two at most." Neither of them said anything and while silences between them were usually comfortable, there was something about this one that had a certain tension about it, as if there were invisible entities swimming within it that wanted to make themselves known. Prompto took a single deep breath and decided he could maybe reveal one of them. "Um, Ignis? After we finish it can we, uh, keep doing this?"

He looked up to Ignis' face only to find him looking down at his. Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him, but Prompto could have sworn that he saw Ignis swallow before asking a question of his own. "Doing what?"

"Hanging out," Prompto answered. "We don't have to play games all the time. Anything's cool. I just really like spending time with you. You know, just you and me."

"Prompto," Ignis said. "I have no intention of stopping our little get togethers. Of course we can continue to meet like this. You are the highlight of my days, after all."

"Really?"

"Without a doubt."

Prompto looked away, hoping his face wasn't red. "Stop exaggerating."

Ignis looked the opposite direction. "I am not."

"Well, then we're just going to have to agree to disagree then."

Prompto felt Ignis huff at that. "I think I know best what the accuracy behind my own words is."

He was right, of course. Prompto knew he was. Ignis was, after all, always right. Still, a part of him wished Ignis was exaggerating, because then he wouldn't have to think about meanings and feelings and what ifs that were difficult, yet all too easy to think about.

And yet, he wanted to think about it. Think about the possibility that Ignis could be the one who could give him what he was looking for.

No, it wasn't a possibility.

It wasn't a possibility when it was already happening.

It was a fact.

* * *

Prompto felt a firm slap on his back. He turned around to see Gladiolus looking down at him.

"So what's on your mind?" Gladiolus asked, continuing when Prompto only stared at him blankly. "You've got that look on your face. The one you get when something's bothering you and it's all you can think about. Then you start overthinking things and jumping to conclusions until someone sits you down and sets the record straight. Just figured that I could help you skip right to that last part."

"It's nothing," Prompto said, taking a step back.

"Bullshit," Gladiolus snorted. "Every time you say that, it always turns out to be a something. A really big something. So what is it, Blondie? Spit it out."

Prompto held his breath. Clicked his tongue. Considered the merits of telling Gladiolus versus not telling him. Realized that it was a wasted endeavor, because he wasn't walking away from this without talking. Gladiolus was going to hound him until he got what he wanted.

"I, uh..." Prompto stammered, trying to figure out how to talk without giving too much away. "think I might like someone?"

Gladiolus grinned. "Girl caught your eye?"

"Something like that," Prompto laughed and while he's done more than his fair share of awkward laughing, he was one hundred percent certain that was by far the most awkward laugh he's ever given.

Gladiolus seemed to ponder his words, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "You know her for long?"

Prompto's reply was immediate. An easy question with a concrete answer that didn't really give any useful information away. "A few years now."

His friend gave a sage nod. "Nice. You two close?"

"We hang out like, once a week."

A tap of the chin. "Good looking?"

"Very," Prompto insisted, perhaps with a little more enthusiasm than was necessary. "I know what you're going to ask next and yes, great personality. Seems cold at first and I guess people think...she's...stuck up or something, but is actually really kind. Always knows just what to say."

Gladiolus let out a thoughtful sound. "You think they like you back?"

Prompto shook his head. "I don't know! I mean, we're good friends, but, maybe? I can't really tell if they do or are just being nice to me. If I'm wrong, I'll look and feel like a total tool."

"Why don't you just ask?" Gladiolus suggested.

At that, Prompto shook his head again, much more vigorously this time. "I can't! What if they don't and I ruin our friendship!?" He would have continued to fret, if he didn't feel a light whap at the back of his head.

"Prompto, if they're really as great as you say, and I think they are, you're not going to ruin anything just by asking." Gladiolus sighed. "And this is just my opinion, but, from what I hear, sounds like the two of you got something going on."

"How can you possibly know?" Prompto asked, skeptical.

"I'm Insomnia's most eligible bachelor," Gladiolus explained. "Nobody knows more about romance than me." He punctuated his words with a laugh, but there was something about it that struck Prompto as a little off.

"Right," Prompto replied, his voice indicating that he did not agree with that statement at all. "That's why you've never been able to keep a girlfriend for longer than six months."

Putting a hand over his heart, Gladiolus infused his voice with fake offense. "That was a low blow, Prompto." Dropping his act, his expression changed to another one, that kind of face that someone had when they just _knew_ something but weren't going to say what it was. "Last question: do I know him?"

Nope. Nope nope nope. Abort. Prompto was absolutely, positively, not going to answer that question. It was getting dangerously close to what he didn't want to reveal. "Oh shit, it's 4:10. I have to be in the shooting range ten minutes ago. See you later, Gladio!" He gave a quick wave before dashing off and once a safe distance had been put between them, he paused to catch his breath.

 _Do I know him,_ Gladiolus had asked and Prompto knew that if he answered that, the jig would be up.

Wait.

_Do I know him?_

_Know him._

_Him._

"...That _bastard!_ " Prompto shouted then covered his mouth. It was too late though, and he found himself being stared at by everyone in the general area. He smiled nervously and rubbed his arm. "Uh, sorry."

As if on cue, everyone turned and went back to what they were doing.


	13. The Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote then rewrote this chapter like three times

The harsh buzzing of an alarm clock sounded through Noctis' bedroom and a single arm rose up into the air, hovered for an eternity, then slammed down onto the off button. Nothing happened for a good five minutes until suddenly, Noctis sat straight up in bed, groaning and rubbing his eyes. He already knew what time it was, but he looked at the clock anyway, as if he needed confirmation of the time. Sure enough, in red lights that for some reason, seemed entirely too bright for this time of morning, the time 8:05 AM was shown.

At that moment, at 8:05 AM on the morning of November 12th, Noctis Lucis Caelum hated everything. Which was normal, because any time he was up before ten in the morning, he was unable to feel anything but a deep loathing for the universe for fifteen minutes. He knew, because this was the new morning routine he had been practicing for the past two weeks and he hoped that by today, he would wake up feeling less like the world was out to get him. Him specifically. It didn't happen.

Getting out of bed, Noctis shuffled to the bathroom to brush his teeth and shower before returning to his room so he could make himself look presentable for the day. Once he was satisfied with both his clothes and his hair, he left his room for a second time to start the day properly.

"Morning," Prompto greeted before pointing to a plate of food on the table. "I made you waffles."

"Thanks, Prompto," Noctis said as he took a seat, staring bleary eyed at the waffles before picking up a fork to poke at them. Prompto joined him a moment afterwards with a plate of his own and Noctis could feel his friend's eyes on him, scrutinizing his every move and no doubt judging him harshly for it.

"I don't think this early morning thing is working out for you," Prompto said as he used a knife to cut his waffles into quarters.

Noctis sulked as he used the side of his fork to break off a small piece of waffle to eat. "It's not," he admitted. "I thought maybe if I got used to waking up earlier, I would stop looking like a zombie until eleven in time for the diplomat visit."

Prompto shrugged before reaching for a glass of orange juice. "Hey, you tried. That's more than you used to do."

Grabbing a paper napkin, Noctis crushed it into a ball and threw it at Prompto. "Ass," he said, but he knew it was true. A month ago, he wouldn't have given a damn about the diplomatic visit, but as much as he didn't like to admit it, his fight with Prompto gave him something of a new perspective on life and the result of that was that Noctis resolved to, little by little, maybe not suck at being a prince so much. After all, if Prompto could be a Crownsguard, go to school, and spend time with friends without failing, then Noctis could too. He couldn't let Prompto show him up in the competency department.

Which was easier said than done, because as Noctis started to look more closely at Prompto, he realized that Prompto was actually a hyper competent person. He just acted like he wasn't.

Prompto had just made him _goddamn waffles._ The kind from scratch, not the frozen stuff. For a moment, Noctis stared down at his waffles and they didn't look like breakfast food. They looked like sugary golden brown medals of Prompto's complete and utter superiority over him at not being a failure. He stabbed one with his fork and brought it up to his mouth to bite at it and it was so tasty he couldn't bring himself to keep being upset.

Life simply was not fair.

"Hey, after today you can go right back to sleeping in until lunchtime," Prompto chirped. How did he manage to be so chipper and energetic in the morning? It was a genuine mystery. Nobody was supposed to be like that. Ignis woke up early, sure, but he also needed coffee to be able to do anything and was always testy, despite his best attempts to hide it. Even Gladiolus was quiet and a bit slow in the morning, needing to warm up before he did his morning exercises. But Prompto, he just hopped right out of bed raring to go.

"I can't wait," Noctis said after finishing the waffle on his fork. He impaled the second one to repeat the process. "Good thing all I have to do is say hi to them. Then I can leave. Specs is in charge of actually taking care of them." A fact that Noctis felt bad about, because it was technically supposed to be his duty, but he knew that if it were up to him, he'd just mess it all up. This was an important visit and Lucis absolutely couldn't afford to have it go wrong. One day, Noctis wouldn't be able to avoid the responsibilities of foreign relations. But that day wasn't today.

At 10 AM sharp, the R8 Star of Lucis pulled up to the apartment building to pick them up. As expected, Ignis was in the driver's seat with Gladiolus in the back. With his boundless energy, Prompto claimed the passenger seat for himself, giving Ignis a winning smile as he got into the car. Ignis smiled back at him and Noctis could have sworn the two of them were staring at each other before they both turned away at the exact same time, Ignis to look out the windshield and Prompto to look out the passenger side window. Huh.

Noctis got into the back seat behind Ignis, his usual customary spot. Beside him, Gladiolus looked to be in such deep thought that he had to wonder whether or not his Shield even realized he had gotten in the car. The question was answered, however, when Gladiolus said, "Morning, Noct."

Noctis returned the greeting with a yawn. He was still tired and all breakfast had really managed to accomplish was make him even sleepier. He struggled to stay awake, but his eyelids were drooping. The world was becoming blurry. Still, he struggled to remain conscious even as sleep beckoned to him with a silent, yet irresistible call. Sleep was an all powerful, invisible force that he was helpless against, not unlike how he was powerless against the tireless march of time.

"Sleepy?" Gladiolus asked, and somehow, Noctis found the energy to nod. "Take a nap." The suggestion was enough to jostle Noctis from his drowsy state, at least temporarily. Gladiolus was always getting on his case about waking up early to fit in an early morning training regimen. It was never going to happen and they both knew it, but it didn't stop him from trying. Seeing his confusion, Gladiolus explained. "In this traffic, we're not going to get there for at least an hour, maybe longer, and the last thing we need is you passing out when we say hi to the Tenebraeans. So get it out of your system now. It's not like you have anything better to do."

His words made entirely too much sense and Noctis' brain was more than happy to completely agree with his logic. Even if he wanted to stay awake, Noctis doubted that he actually could and an extra hour might be just what he needed to be awake and alert for when they finally did meet the diplomats. When the car started moving, he found himself leaning, and while he had meant to lean to the left in order to sleep against the window, his body actually swayed right and the next thing Noctis knew, he was on his side with his head in Gladiolus' lap. After taking a second to marvel at the fact that he couldn't even fall over right, he tried to push himself upright, but found that to be an impossible task and that his body much preferred its current position.

"Sorry," he muttered and he expected to be roughly pushed back up, but instead, large, calloused fingers slowly worked their way through his hair, lightly massaging his scalp. It was soothing and made Noctis want to do nothing more than just lie there forever until he melted into the car seats.

"Don't be," he heard as the fingertips on his head moved to a different spot, rubbing soothing circles into his skull. "Go to sleep, Noct. I'll wake you when we get there."

Noctis tried to protest, but he lost the ability to form words as he drifted off into dreamland.

True to his word, Gladiolus woke Noctis up when they reached the Golden Saucer hotel an hour and twenty minutes later. The diplomats were due to arrive at 1 PM, meaning they had plenty of time to enjoy lunch. The Golden Saucer was by no means a typical hangout for a regal bunch like the Crown Prince and his companions and many would consider it low brow, there was no denying that the actual quality of its food and accommodations were among some of Insomnia's best. Patrons typically preferred the buffet: quick, accessible, and easy, meaning they could get back to the hotel's attractions as soon as possible, but the Golden Saucer did also have a proper restaurant inside of it and the four of them were able to enjoy a meal cooked by one of Insomnia's best chefs. By the time the Tenebraean diplomats arrived, they were well rested and well fed, prepared for a day of polite pleasantries.

One by one, the envoys exited the car. Noctis vaguely recognized some of them. He didn't know their names, but he did remember their faces from the last time they had come to Insomnia. One of them was the official Tenebraean ambassador to Lucis. He actually lived in Insomnia and worked at the Tenebraean embassy. Noctis saw him around the Citadel sometimes. The others he couldn't quite identify, but they were familiar. They probably only came around once or twice a year.

But then one more person emerged from the car. First there was a single high heeled shoe, then another. A delicate hand reached out to hold onto the car door as a young woman in a trench coat and a scarf stepped out. Her blonde hair was done up in a loose ponytail with a single braid stretching across her head like a headband. Her blue eyes looked around and once they fell on Noctis, focused entirely on him.

Noctis' heart stopped. His mouth opened slightly and his heart started beating faster and his eyes grew larger as he stared. He hadn't seen her in years and she looked different from how he remembered her, but there was no doubt about it. It was her. He swallowed and took a step forward, willing himself to say her name.

"Luna?"

* * *

"Ignis," Noctis said as Gladiolus helped the Tenebraeans bring their luggage to their rooms and Prompto chatted with Lunafreya. "Why didn't you tell me that Luna was going to be here?" He affixed the man with a gaze that was equal parts annoyance and panic. He was not told Lunafreya was coming and had been completely blindsided by her arrival. It wasn't that he was unhappy about it. Nothing could be further from the truth. But if he had known, he would have done more. He would have been prepared to see her after so many years of just writing letters to each other in a notebook. What was the first thing he did after seeing her after such a long time? Stare at her like an idiot! It was embarrassing.

"Noct," Ignis said, and his usually composed demeanor had cracked slightly. "Please believe me when I say I didn't know about this either." Noctis searched his face, looking for any possible indication that Ignis was lying, but he found none. There was no reason for Ignis to keep this information from him. Ignis knew him well enough to know that Noctis would have wanted to know immediately if Lunafreya was to be part of the visit and if anything, the slight faltering of his normally perfect expression meant that he had also been completely surprised by the turn of events.

"I believe you," Noctis said, at last. He hadn't meant to go off on Ignis like that, but he needed an outlet for the anxiety and feeling of being overwhelmed that had suddenly bubbled up inside him. "I just wasn't expecting this."

At those words, Ignis looked relieved. "None of us were. Do you want me to adjust the itinerary so that you can spend some time with Lady Lunafreya?" Noctis was familiar with said itinerary: it was a carefully crafted schedule that allowed the Tenebraeans to experience Lucian culture and see the best Insomnia had to offer in both cuisine and entertainment. It was made so that they would not spend a single moment of their visit bored.

Noctis shook his head. "No, don't. Actually, I'm going to make a request." He saw Ignis perk up, listening intently. Noctis took a breath. "Let me handle everything."

For a moment, it seemed that Ignis didn't understand what he was saying. He could see a brief flash of confusion cross his features. "Do you mean you want to be their host?" When Noctis nodded, he continued. "Are you sure?"

"I am," Noctis affirmed. "It was originally going to be my job to do this, wasn't it? I can't have you doing everything for me all the time. All I have to do is follow your schedule, right?"

"Well, yes," Ignis said. "You don't have to spend all day with them. Simply see to it they arrive to places on time, address any concerns they have, join them for dinner, and engage in polite conversation."

"I can do that," Noctis said, doing his best to sound confident. It didn't sound hard. "You've been working too hard, so take the next couple days off."

"Noct, it really is no-"

Already knowing what he was going to say, Noctis cut Ignis off by raising his hand. "No, Ignis. I'm taking this over and that's final. See a movie, take a nap, go on a date. I don't care what it is as long as it makes you happy. Say " _fuck_ this, I'm doing something for me for a change." Go on, try it."

Ignis gave him an exasperated look. "I will do many things for you, Noctis, but I will not use such vulgar language in front of you."

Noctis shrugged. "It doesn't have to be in front of me. Besides, that's not the point. The point is you're going on mandatory leave until the 16th. I don't want to see you working at all. If I do, I'm going to be disappointed in you."

Despite everything, the hints of a smile pulled at Ignis' lips. "I will keep that in mind. Alright, I will do as you say, but please don't hesitate to call should you need help."

"Relax," Noctis said, although he wasn't entirely certain if Ignis _was_ capable of relaxing. It was a legitimate question! "Gladio will be with me."

"That does not entirely reassure me," Ignis replied dryly, but by now he was smiling openly. "but at least I can be certain that you will, at the very least, not be dead by the time I get back."

Feigning offense, Noctis put a hand on Ignis' back and started pushing him away, towards nowhere in particular. He didn't think as far as to have a destination before starting the action. "Okay. Whatever. Bye. Enjoy your break, Specs."

* * *

"I'm sorry that this was so sudden," Lunafreya apologized as she sat down in a chair. It was just her and Noctis at a single table in a restaurant that served Cleigne style cuisine with Gladiolus by himself at a nearby table. "I would have sent word earlier, but my mother decided at the last minute to allow me to join the diplomatic visit."

"Don't worry about it," Noctis said, even though he was still quietly internally panicking. "It just means I get to see you after all this time." As far as he was concerned, Lunafreya could drop by anytime. The fact that she could drop everything and come all this way to see him warmed his heart, a comforting flame amid all the troubles he had been having lately. "Anyway, sorry about Prompto. It's been like, his dream to meet you ever since I first met him."

Lunafreya smiled at him and Noctis thought he was going to melt. "It's no trouble. He's such a sweetheart."

"Well, he can be mean if he feels like it," Noctis said, uncomfortably remembering the recent fight he had with Prompto. "Be nice to him, he's like, super delicate."

"What about you, Noctis?" Lunafreya asked as a waiter brought them glasses of water. "We trade messages all the time, but I'd like to hear it directly from you for once."

"I'm..." Noctis trailed off, squinting his eyes in thought before looking down at his menu, hoping she wouldn't notice his hesitation. It was a useless endeavor, of course, because nobody in this world understood him better than Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. "It's complicated," he finally decided. "I can't really describe it," he continued, casting a glance at Gladiolus, who was busy helping himself to some of the complimentary bread.

The shift in Noctis' gaze didn't escape the Oracle, who was a woman wise beyond her years. "Does it have something to do with Gladiolus?" she asked.

"No!" Noctis insisted a bit loudly before lowering his voice. "I mean, yes? Maybe?" He lowered his head. "Things between us have been weird lately. Like, not bad weird. It's kind of a good weird, but it's still weird."

He felt soft fingertips touching his hand and he looked up to see Lunafreya reaching across the table and giving him a supportive look. "Have you tried talking about it with him?"

"God no," Noctis said, as if the very idea of it was completely out of the question. "What do I say to him? What if I scare him off or something?"

Lunafreya looked at him from across the table. "Noctis, I don't know Gladiolus as well as you do, but from what I do know and what you've told me about him, I don't think you could scare him that easily."

* * *

Noctis focused entirely on performing his duties as a host for the visiting diplomats. He reached deep into his memories and did his best to recall every lesson Ignis ever gave him about how to treat foreign dignitaries.

Don't mess up, follow the itinerary. It was easier said than done when he found out half of the diplomats were hungover one morning from staying up too late gambling and drinking in the Golden Saucer's famous casino.

He arranged for transportation and got them everything they needed. When one of the diplomats got sick, he sent one of the Citadel's best doctors over to attend to her.

When he could, he spent time with Lunafreya, taking her around the city and being her personal tour guide to everything Insomnia had to offer.

"This is truly a wonderful city," Lunafreya said as they walked down a street, her head turning everywhere so she could take in the sights of the city illuminated at night.

"You think so?" Noctis asked as he did the same. Where Lunafreya saw a beautiful display of illumination, he only saw the drab lighting of highrise buildings and the obnoxious lighting of storefronts. "Doesn't seem special to me."

"It's mesmerizing," Lunafreya said. "It's so much more lively than Tenebrae."

"No way," Noctis said. It's been years since he was last in Tenebrae, but he remembered the country clearly. It had picture perfect landscapes, the fairy tale castle of the Nox Fleuret line. It was like something out of a dream. "This place can get pretty suffocating." He felt it every day, and lately it was like the city's grip on his throat was tightening. Noctis didn't hate Insomnia. He loved his home. But sometimes it just felt like it expected too much of him.

"That's how I feel about Tenebrae sometimes," Lunafreya replied. "Aside from seeing you, I was really excited to come here."

"I guess it's probably more exciting to people who don't live here," Noctis shrugged, still trying to wrap his head around the idea that Insomnia was really all that amazing to someone who lived in a real life fantasy land. "Wish I could travel." He's been to Tenebrae and Accordo and even Niflheim, but those were all on official royal business and he usually spent his times there in a single location. Noctis couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to visit a place just for fun the way ordinary people did. Lunafreya was in a similar situation. Travel was part of her duties as the Oracle to aid locations and people who could not travel to Tenebrae.

But she's seen more of the world than Noctis has, and probably more of it than he ever would in his entire life. And once he assumed the Lucian throne, he would have even less freedom.

Part of him wished that Lunafreya didn't have to leave and he could believe that if she stayed, then time itself would freeze and he'd never have to face the day he would become king.

* * *

The visit had gone perfectly and not once did Noctis have to call Ignis. In fact, he hardly saw his advisor at all. It seemed that he had taken the instructions to take time off and enjoy himself seriously. Or he was spending his mandated holiday sulking at home as a nervous wreck who didn't know what to do with himself. Whichever it was, that was Ignis' problem and not his.

He didn't see much of Prompto either, but that was normal. That combined with exam season and Noctis having to host Lunafreya and the Tenebraeans meant that when one got back home, the other was already fast asleep.

Aside from Lunafreya, the only friend available to him was Gladiolus and things had gotten even more awkward between them. For those three days, Gladiolus was usually never too far away and while the words they exchanged with each other were normal, an aura of unease seemed to surround them whenever they talked, even if it was something routine and mundane such as asking where the next destination they were heading to was.

If Lunafreya made him want the days to go by slower, Gladiolus made him wish they'd pass in the blink of an eye.

At last, the morning of the 16th arrived, and Noctis, reluctantly, was awake at five in the morning. The Tenebraeans - and Lunafreya - would be leaving in three hours and he needed to see them off. As he got out of bed and splashed his face with water in the bathroom, he resolved to himself that once he was king, it would be illegal to be awake before 8 AM. It would be later, but he decided he would be nice to weird morning people like Prompto.

When he arrived at the Golden Saucer hotel, he found the diplomats sitting in the lobby waiting for their schedule departure time. Noctis corrected his posture, standing up straight before going over to greet them.

"Did you enjoy your time in Insomina?" he asked after making some small talk.

"It was lovely," one of the diplomats said. "Everything was just about perfect."

"It's the most fun I've had in ages," replied another. "This hotel is a delight, far more fun than those other hotels I've stayed in. Please give whoever planned this out my thanks."

"I will make sure he knows," Noctis said, suppressing a snicker. He remembered in the days leading up to the visit Ignis was the biggest ball of anxiety he had ever seen.

"Thank you for sending your doctor over when I was ill, Prince Noctis," a third diplomat said. "If it hadn't been for you, I would have had to spend this entire trip in bed!"

When the official cars came to pick them up, Noctis said a personal goodbye to each of the diplomats. Lunafreya gave him a hug and the two of them promised to write to each other more often. He waved goodbye as the cars pulled away and felt proud of himself that everything went off without a hitch. As soon as the cars were out of sight, he felt like going home.

Instead, he went somewhere else: to the Amicitia residence. He rang the doorbell and greeted Jared when the butler answered it, explaining that he was looking for Gladiolus. Jared directed him to the living room.

"Hey, Gladio?" Noctis called as he entered the room. "We need to talk-"

He stopped short when he saw that Gladiolus wasn't alone in the room. The Shield was sitting in one chair with a young man he didn't recognize sitting in another. (Noctis was sure he didn't know him, but he seemed kind of familiar. Did he see him somewhere before?) The television in the room was playing a travel show. The young man lifted a remote and pressed the power button, shutting the television off. He looked up, looking at Noctis with a single blue eye, the other obscured by black hair.

"Oh, hello. You must be Noct," the guy said, smiling. "It's nice to finally meet you. My name is Cyrus."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whispers quietly, "noct saw cyrus briefly in chapter 9"
> 
> next chapter: "Ignis' Amazing Staycation"
> 
> ...it won't actually be called that
> 
> ...but it will be about his staycation


	14. Burden of Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god i made like fifty billion typos and mistakes i ended up changing this chapter significantly from my original idea (the overall plot is unchanged dw) i'm sorry in advance for any missed typos or remnants of the original chapter plot that may have accidentally been left behind i think i got all of them but if i missed any please let me know so i can quietly attempt to hide my shame

Ignis was lost.

He was standing right outside the main doors of the Golden Saucer hotel at 661 Corneria Street, roughly a forty-five minute drive to his apartment in current driving conditions. He knew exactly where he was. He was the one who had driven here, after all. No, the reason he was lost was because he had suddenly found himself with three days of absolutely no work to do at all. One day off was rare enough, but three? In a row? The idea of it was nigh incomprehensible and he had Noctis to thank for it.

Noctis had forbidden him from seeing him working, which meant that his duties as the advisor and unofficial caretaker of the Crown Prince of Lucis were suspended. He couldn't do his other work either: he had cleared those days in order to make time for the Tenebraean diplomats and left Serafina in charge of his responsibilities until he got back.

For once in a long time, possibly the first time ever, Ignis had nothing to do. No work and no obligations. He could do whatever he pleased. The sheer amount of freedom was staggering. The options were numerous. The possibilities were near endless.

The burden of choice was very, very real.

His first step was to leave the Golden Saucer and he felt guilty as he did, feeling like he was leaving Noctis to face a horrible danger alone. As he walked back to where the R8 Star of Lucis was parked in the hotel's parking structure, Ignis couldn't help but look over his shoulder a couple times, considering turning right back around and returning to his side.

But to do so would be disobeying Noctis' orders and would undermine his determination to step up and assume responsibility. After years of essentially doing Noctis' job for him, it was hard to break the habit even though Ignis knew this was for the best. Part of him just wished that Noctis had chosen a slightly less important visit to try this on. The Lucian economy was dependent on trade with Tenebrae and vice versa as each country had goods that the other lacked. Ignis forced himself to stop thinking about the diplomats and focus on the "task" he had been given to enjoy himself.

 _Go see a movie,_ Noctis had suggested, and Ignis decided to take it, as it was better than spending the three days sitting around trying to decide what to do.

Ignis couldn't remember the last time he had been to a movie theater by himself. He usually visited with Noctis, Gladiolus, and Prompto and he always let them pick what to watch. Usually it was action or comedy, Noctis' favorites. Prompto's preferences generally aligned with the prince, but he was also open to seeing anything. Gladiolus liked romances the best and because of it, Ignis has seen far more romantic comedies than he cared to admit.

As for himself, Ignis didn't have a strict favorite genre, although if he was pressed for an answer he would say drama. The truth was he saw anything he thought was interesting, from art house style films to science fiction, to family oriented animation. He wasn't a believer in limiting oneself. That only led to missing out on wonderful things due to narrow minded assumptions. There was a wide variety of movies being shown. Now that it was autumn, the film studios were starting to bring out the features they were hoping would win awards.

He ended up choosing a historical drama set a couple hundred years in the past in what was now Lestallum. It was movie filled with politics, mystery, and intrigue and while it was riveting, it also reminded Ignis of work, leading him to not enjoy it as much as he probably would have otherwise. Upon leaving the theater, he checked his phone which had been on silent for the past two hours and saw that he had a message from Prompto.

> **Prompto:** Just finished today's exam. I think I did ok

That's right. It was exam time in the school year, and if Ignis recalled correctly, this would be Prompto's last set of them before graduation. Ignis was absolutely confident that his friend would pass with flying colors.

> **Ignis:** Congratulations, Prompto. I know it's not Tuesday, but if you're free, would you care to join me for dinner?
> 
> **Ignis:** If you'd rather stay home and study, I understand.
> 
> **Prompto:** No way! I'd love to hang out with you Iggy!
> 
> **Ignis:** Wonderful. Let's go somewhere of your choosing.

Prompto's choice of eatery was a small local restaurant: tiny, affordable, and not the least bit fancy; a far cry from the large, expensive, and extravagant restaurant that Noctis and the Tenebraeans should be at right about then. Dinner did not consist of artfully cooked morsels arranged carefully on plates, it was just simple hot soup and sandwiches for both of them. Simple, yet warm and filling. Perfect for the cold weather.

"So what are your plans?" Prompto asked between bites of food. "Since Noct is putting you on mandatory vacation and all."

"I have none," Ignis admitted. "I did see a movie today, but I haven't the slightest idea of what to do next."

"You could try nothing," Prompto suggested. "Be lazy and completely unproductive. It's pretty therapeutic."

Ignis laughed. "Then perhaps I can see what Noct finds so appealing in it."

"Want me to come over tomorrow?" Prompto asked. "I've got two exams, but they're both in the morning. I'll be free by lunchtime. Then we can do nothing together."

Briefly, Ignis had to wonder if he was prepared to see Prompto outside of their regularly scheduled Tuesday evenings, vaguely aware of the fact that the entire concept of this line of thinking was utterly ridiculous, especially considering the fact that they just had dinner together on a not-Tuesday. "I would like that," he responded. His next couple of days were already in disarray. What was a little more chaos?

And truthfully, he'll take an excuse to see Prompto more.

When Ignis made it back to his apartment, there was still a couple hours left before his usual bedtime. He started with a long, hot shower, marveling at the wonders such a simple luxury could bring about. Normally, Ignis' showers were short and quick before he'd turn in for the night, but now that he's had the time to actually enjoy one, he was starting to appreciate this forced break that Noctis had so kindly imposed upon him. The sound of falling water was almost hypnotic and the heat seemed to melt any tension in his body away. It was so nice he had to question himself: why didn't he do this more often?

He knew the reason why, of course: because he was always too busy and too concerned with others to think about doing anything for himself, even something as simple as spending a few extra minutes in a hot shower.

Afterwards, he's settled into bed with a book he had been meaning to read for six months. It was a mystery thriller novel with all of the ingredients of a best seller: eloquent writing, a colorful cast of characters, a suspenseful plot, and numerous twists and turns that keep the reader guessing, challenging their assumptions with every new piece of information revealed. It's difficult to put down and by the time Ignis finally does and turns off the lights, it's three in the morning.

* * *

A text from Prompto informed Ignis of his impending arrival in approximately fifteen minutes. Despite his best attempts at doing nothing, Ignis found that he couldn't not be doing something and instead had prepared lunch for both of them. Two freshly cooked bowls of curry were being carefully placed on the table when he heard a knock at the door. Picking up a coffee mug from the kitchen counter, Ignis made his way over to let Prompto in.

"Hey," Prompto greeted, looking much too cheerful to be a man who had just finished two university exams. "You're- wow, okay, you look different today."

And he did. Unlike every other day, Ignis wasn't dressed formally, wearing only a simple long sleeved grey shirt with beige pants. A casual day called for casual attire, meaning it was time for some of the lesser used items in his wardrobe to shine. Ignis had to admit that they were incredibly comfortable. "It must be the clothes," he says with a chuckle before holding out the mug to Prompto. "Hot cocoa? The weather report said it's awfully cold today."

Prompto shed his jacket, hanging it in a nearby coat closet before gratefully accepting the mug, momentarily savoring the warmth of the drink before taking a sip. "Just what I needed! I haven't had hot chocolate since last winter." He had nothing but praise for the food as well and Ignis couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the words.

Once the dishes were rinsed and placed into the dishwasher, the day could now truly begin. On the agenda: nothing. Free time to do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted and for however long they wanted. It started with them seated on the couch having conversation over more hot cocoa. The conversation was meandering and disjointed. Unlike their other talks with each other, there was very little structure or flow to the conversation and they drifted from topic to topic, talking about whatever popped into their heads, from music to family to embarrassing stories about Noctis and Gladiolus.

"You should get a cat or something," Prompto said at one point. "So you wouldn't be so alone here all the time. Warm, cuddly, self sufficient, and all they ask for is some food and attention in return."

Ignis gave the suggestion some thought. A pet to welcome him home would certainly be nice, but he wasn't sure if he could actually give an animal the care it needed. The idea was filed into a section for things to think about some other time. Instead, he replied, "That sounds remarkably like somebody I know."

"Yeah?" Prompto asked, a curious look evident on his face. "Who? I would say Noct, but only like, half that stuff applies to him."

"You," Ignis answers, smiling at him.

"Oh my god," Prompto said and he didn't seem to know how to react to that. No doubt he was trying to figure out if being compared to a cat was a compliment or an insult. "Is that a good thing? Because I can't tell."

"It's good," Ignis told him and Prompto immediately seemed pleased by it. "Why would I need a cat when I have you?"

At that, Prompto let out a noise and Ignis couldn't figure out the meaning behind it. It seemed as if Prompto was struggling to form words and failing at it. At last, Prompto managed a, "You can't just say stuff like that, Iggy."

"I can and I just did."

Picking up one of the pillows on the couch, Prompto threw it at Ignis half-heartedly. "Oh my god," he repeated. "You're impossible. That's it. Conversation over. We're doing something else."

They turned to channel surfing, searching for something that was worth watching. However, it seemed as if all of the television networks had conspired together to air things that no one in the entire world would want to watch ever. Between reruns of shows that were at least half a decade old, trashy reality shows, and unfunny sitcoms, Prompto, who had the remote in his hand, had to change the channel every ten seconds searching for something that he wouldn't be able to find: decent programming.

As it turns out, staying awake is difficult when there's nothing interesting going on and the only thing you hear is the droning of some of the least intellectually stimulating dialogue in the history of entertainment. Combined with going to bed late the previous night, Ignis' battle to stay conscious was a losing one, his last thought being that it wouldn't hurt to rest his eyes for just a little bit.

Naturally, he woke up an hour and a half later, better rested but also thoroughly confused. Falling asleep during the day was not something Ignis did. There simply was no time for things like napping no matter how tired he got. That was part of the reason why he developed an awful caffeine problem in the first place. But here he was, curled up on his couch after a sudden jump forward in time if the clock he was staring at was any indication, feeling quite cozy under the blanket. Not that he remembered getting a blanket before nodding off. He hoped Prompto wasn't too terribly upset with him for falling asleep.

Prompto. He had momentarily forgotten that his friend had come over to visit and realized with abject horror that he had committed one of the gravest sins: falling asleep when you were supposed to be entertaining your guest. The television was off and Prompto was no longer on the other side of the couch and Ignis worried that Prompto might have left. Not that he could blame him as what Ignis had just done was incredibly rude. Prompto would have been entirely within his rights to just leave.

However, Prompto hadn't left. He had simply moved to the dining room table where he had two school textbooks opened up in front of him along with a spiral notebook, brows furrowed in concentration as he ran a finger along the text on one of the pages. As Ignis approached, he stopped what he was doing and looked up. "Sleep well?" There was no anger or annoyance in his voice. It was the same, casual tone that Prompto used when they would talk about their days.

"Yes," Ignis admitted, because he did feel more alert. "I apologize for falling asleep like that."

In his head, he heard the echo of Noctis' voice. _Take a nap._ It seemed that once again, Ignis had taken his suggestion to heart, albeit not on purpose.

"No biggie," Prompto said, closing his books and his notebook. "It's not like we were doing anything important and you looked like you needed it." He stacked one textbook on the other before placing the notebook on the top before sliding the entire pile into a backpack. "Besides, I got some extra studying done. I'm totally prepared for tomorrow! Win-win, if you ask me."

Ignis still felt bad about it despite the reassurances and the two of them went out grocery shopping in order to find ingredients for dinner. At Prompto's insistence, they were going to cook something Ignis himself liked, which meant spending a little extra on high quality fresh seafood in order to create some seafood paella.

It was little more than just an errand, and yet Ignis found it quite enjoyable, even when he was debating the various merits between brands of rice or the health benefits of ulwaat berries with Prompto. Having someone else with him certainly made the excursion much more enjoyable than it would be on his own. They returned back to the apartment each carrying a bag of groceries and they worked together to create a splendid meal. Ignis offered wine, but Prompto refused, saying he wanted to be in top form for his last day of exams, a decision Ignis not only respected, but admired.

With a few hours left before the end of the evening, they spent the rest of it finally finishing up Assassin's Creed, which ended nicely for the historical story it told, but on a blatant sequel hook for its modern day story arc. When the credits began to roll, Prompto put a friendly arm around Ignis' shoulders in celebration.

"How's it feel to complete your first game all by yourself?" he asked.

"Surprisingly satisfying," Ignis answered. He removed the game disc from the console and placed it back in his case, handing it to Prompto. "Do make sure Noct gets this back, will you?"

Prompto took the game to put into his backpack and double checked to make sure he had all of his books and notes. "Sure thing," he nodded, making his way to the door and putting a hand on the doorknob. "So, um...wanna hang out tomorrow too?" he asked. "I can be here at ten. I mean, if you want to. If you'd rather be with someone else or by yourself tomorrow, that's cool too. You don't have to decide now, text me later or some-"

"Prompto," Ignis interrupted. "I'd love to spend tomorrow with you as well." The look of pure elation that Prompto gave him made his heart pound in his chest. It was ridiculous what a simple smile from Prompto could do to him.

"Great!" Prompto said, then immediately looked shy. "So...I'll see you tomorrow. Night, Ignis."

"Good night, Prompto," Ignis returned, once Prompto was gone, he made his way to the bathroom to take his nightly shower, skin tingling in anticipation for the next day.

* * *

Ignis had lost track of time and very nearly jumped when he heard the knock on his door. One last look at the mirror told him there wasn't a hair out of place on his head and he very nearly ran to the door to greet Prompto.

"Hey, Iggy," Prompto said, flashing a smile at him. He was holding something in his arms that looked to be about the size of a DVD case. Did he bring a movie he wanted to watch? "I, uh, brought you something," he said before all but shoving it into Ignis' hands.

"My birthday isn't for another three months," Ignis mused as he accepted the case, bringing it up to eye level to look at it. "This is..."

"Assassin's Creed 2," Prompto finished. "Since you liked the first one and all. I thought I'd let you borrow mine. I haven't played it in about two years, so take your time. I won't miss it or anything. Oh, and you won't believe what happened when I gave the first one back to Noct. He said he forgot he even gave it to you in the first place!"

"I believe it completely," Ignis scoffed, placing the game on the table next to his door. "I was thinking we could go out into the city today. It may be my break, but I don't intend to spend the _entire_ time here in my apartment."

"That's perfect," Prompto beamed. "I picked last time, so it's your turn to pick where we go today."

"Very well," Ignis agreed, and he more or less planned the entire day in the span of just a few seconds. "I have a few places in mind."

Ignis took Prompto on a miniature tour of his neighborhood, first leading him down the busy main streets lined from end to end with high end expensive stores from designer clothes to the latest in electronics. They stopped at an Altissian café for lunch, one that offered outdoor seating. Space was a premium in Insomnia and not many places offered the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and the ones that did were usually quite expensive. But when you have pockets as deep as Ignis Scientia's, it's not too big a price to pay when you want to treat the man you've been utterly smitten with for the past couple months. Give or take a few extra because he still wasn't sure exactly when it started.

Even after they finished eating, they lingered for an extra half hour, watching the people and cars go by. It was an odd feeling to be sitting down and taking their time while Insomnia rushed all around them. It was as if they were watching a movie set to fast forward or maybe they were running in slow motion. Either way, it felt as if there was a temporal discrepancy that made Ignis feel like he was looking across the barrier of two completely different worlds.

Evidently, Prompto felt it too. "You ever do this before? Just sit and watch everyone and everything go by like this?" Seeing Ignis shake his head, he continued, "Me neither. Is this what we look like every day?"

"It must," Ignis answered, trying to picture himself silently hurrying from place to place. Which he logically knew was what he did every day, but for some reason, attempting to actually imagine him doing so just like the countless nameless citizens and pedestrians he passed by daily was difficult. "Everyone in this city must shuffle here and there every day. We are no exception."

"Is it the same everywhere else?"

"Gralea, perhaps, but most other places don't move at nearly the same pace as Insomnia does."

"It'd be nice to see some of them," Prompto said, finishing the rest of his drink. "Think we'd be able to go out of the city someday? You, me, Noct, and Gladio?"

Visiting other countries was a near certainty as part of official business, but those trips were hardly relaxing, more like being confined in limited, dull spaces while you knew there was a brand new place to discover right outside the walls.

"Perhaps one day," Ignis said. As far fetched as it may seem, it was always a possibility. Maybe he could convince King Regis to allow them a few days in Galdin Quay. It would do everyone a world of good.

Ignis filed that idea away to one day look into in the future.

* * *

The rest of the day consisted of more leisurely excursions throughout the district with Ignis indulging Prompto every time he wanted to stop and look at something, be it a store offering the latest in technology or a piece of public art in front of a skyscraper. Although he was hesitant at first, Prompto soon grew more excited and exuberant, his cheerful mood becoming infectious as Ignis would light up whenever he thought of something he thought Prompto would enjoy seeing.

They ended up back at Ignis' apartment after stopping at a restaurant for dinner. Prompto all but fell onto the couch, proclaiming that he was so tired he could fall asleep right then and there.

"It's only eight, Prompto," Ignis said, holding out a can of Ebony to him before joining him on the couch. "Surely you're not that tired?"

Prompto took the can and popped the tab before taking a nice, long drink of Ebony. The others may make fun of Ignis' crippling addiction to Ebony, but at least Prompto acknowledged that it was pretty good even if he also would give him a hard time about it.

"We went all over today," Prompto said in his defense.

"We were making the most of this unique opportunity that's been given to us," Ignis corrected. Vague terms, to avoid calling it what he had referred to it as in his head. Or, more accurately, what Noctis' voice in his head was calling it.

 _Go on a date,_ Noctis' voice echoed.

Prompto gave a snort then stared down at the Ebony can in his hands for what Ignis thought might have been forever. The silence worried him and he began to silently fret. Was it too much? Had he overwhelmed Prompto? Should he do something to make up for it? But before he could overthink the situation any more, Prompto spoke. "So, you get one more day off, right? If you're not doing anything, could I maybe..."

"Visit again?" Ignis supplied, and Prompto nodded.

"I mean, if you're not tired of me. I totally understand if you are though. I've already taken up two days already."

"Prompto," Ignis said. "I could never tire of you. I..." he trailed off, stopping himself from saying anything more. But Prompto was watching him with blue eyes that were both terribly wary and intensely curious, clearly wanting him to continue.

He debated the merits of each option and once again, Ignis found himself paralyzed by indecision, and too afraid to take a step in either direction. He didn't know which he feared more: the unknown of finishing that sentence or the unknown of Prompto's reaction if he didn't.

But because time does not stand still and no moment can last forever, Prompto chose for him. "You...what?"

"I..." Ignis nearly bit his own tongue stumbling over his own voice. "I like you."

Things were unbearably silent for a few seconds, Prompto staring at him wide eyed and Ignis knew this was it. This was the moment Prompto would run out of his apartment and they'd live the rest of their lives in awkward agony around each other. He was a fool. His relationships never worked out. He was either rejected outright or he could barely go a month before the other person broke it off. And yet, here he was having fallen for someone once again despite his best efforts. Was there not a saying about how insanity was trying the same thing over and over expecting a different result? He hoped Prompto would make it quick so he could have an emotional breakdown in the privacy of his own home. A fine way to spend the remainder of his vacation.

How many cans of Ebony would he need for this? He hoped he had enough to drink away the impending despair. Some people drank their sorrows away in alcohol. Ignis drank his away in coffee.

However, Prompto did not run. Instead, he spoke, "I like you too, Ignis."

"Perhaps I wasn't clear," Ignis said, his hands moving to his knees to grip them in an ultimately futile attempt to stop them from shaking. "I'm in love with you, Prompto."

"Perhaps _I_ wasn't clear," Prompto replied, using one hand to put his half empty Ebony can onto the coffee table. "What I'm saying is: me too. That is, I'm in love with you. Not me. That'd be...pretty egotistical of me." Ignis stared at Prompto, still attempting to parse what he had just heard and Prompto stared back, waiting for an answer. When it became clear he wasn't going to get one, he moved things forward himself. "Can I kiss you?"

Were it not for his shock, Ignis would have replied with a cheeky "I don't know; _can_ you?" but thankfully, he was too overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions to ruin the moment, only able to get out an, "I...yes." The words had barely left his mouth when Prompto closed the distance between them, gently cupping Ignis' face between his hands and pressing their lips together.

_I don't care what it is as long as it makes you happy._

Thirty minutes later, Noctis' phone buzzed with one new incoming message.

> **Ignis:** I wanted to thank you, Noct, for your wise words of advice.

Noctis stared at his phone for a good ten seconds, his face contorting in confusion as he attempted to decipher its vague and mildly cryptic meaning.

"What."

Beside him, Lunafreya glanced over his shoulder at the phone and giggled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks disembodied noct's voice
> 
> you did a good
> 
> i hope you enjoyed ignis' terrible, unintentional flirting because it was physically painful to write


	15. Best Friends Ever

Gladio had frozen in his seat the moment Noctis unexpectedly walked into the room, saying the dreaded sentence _we need to talk._ He didn't know how to react or what to say. He was not ready. He wouldn't be ready for a while, possibly never ready. He was thinking of ways to get out of the situation when Cyrus spoke up, saying hello to Noctis and introducing himself.

If Noctis wasn't going to be the death of him, then Cyrus was.

"Uh, hi," Noctis said, looking at this unknown person warily. "Yeah, I'm Noct."

"I've heard so much about you," Cyrus said with a smile. "I've wanted to meet you for a while now."

"Okay," Gladiolus interjected, breaking out of his stunned state, reaching over to drop a fist lightly on Cyrus' head. "That's enough out of you. Now scram for a bit. This is between Noct and me, got it?"

"Yeah," Noctis agreed. "This is between the Crown Prince and his Shield."

"Okay," Cyrus agreed, standing up out of his chair. But then he paused, a look of realization dawning on his face. "Oh! I get it now! Noct is short for Noctis!"

Gladiolus looked over to Noctis who had only a look of pure disbelief on his face. Standing up himself, Gladiolus put a hand on Cyrus' back to push him out of the room. "I think I'm starting to understand why you're single now. Now do us a favor and stand in the dining room for a while, okay?" Shutting the door once Cyrus was out, Gladiolus turned to the other black haired, blue eyed twenty something in the room. "Sorry about him. He wasn't making fun of you or anything. He really didn't realize who you were. Turns out he's really bad at recognizing people until he gets to know them."

Noctis looked over to the shut door, watching it with suspicion. "So, you gonna tell me about him or...?"

"What do you want to know?" Gladiolus asked. "His name is Cyrus Quies and he's an architecture student. We met in a nightclub a couple months ago and he's off in his own little world half the time, but he's a good kid."

Taking the seat that was previously occupied by Cyrus, Noctis frowned at him. "You met him in a nightclub?"

This was going in a direction that Gladiolus didn't like. At first, he was happy to talk about Cyrus because it meant putting off whatever other discussion Noctis had in mind, but now he was starting to regret it. "Yeah. So?" He did his best to appear casual. Like that there was nothing up. They were just two guys who met in a nightclub and became friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

Unfortunately, Noctis was not about to buy that. "So?" Noctis repeated, his voice raising in volume. "I walk in here and you're sitting with this guy who looks like me, kind of creepily so, and you tell me he's your friend from a nightclub? What am I supposed to think, Gladio?"

"He's just a friend, Noct," Gladiolus said, maybe sounding a little exasperated. He desperately wanted to move on to another subject. He'd even take whatever dreaded talk Noctis wanted over this. "I don't understand why you're making such a big deal of this. What did you want to talk about?"

Frowning, Noctis seemed to hesitate before talking. "I was going to ask about..." his face contorted into many different expressions that Gladio couldn't name. He lifted his hands, as if they could help him try to get his thoughts in order. "I don't know how to describe it. Just...us, I guess. The hell is up with us, Gladio?"

There it was. The question that he was dreading all this time. "I don't know, Noct," he admitted. Uncharted territory was about to be traversed.

"Yeah, well, we should probably figure it out," Noctis growled. "I'm sick of this. I'm sick of feeling like you're hiding something from me and us having to tip toe around each other."

Grunting a response of agreement, Gladiolus wished it was that easy. Just figure things out. Stop feeling so goddamn stupid around each other. But he didn't know where to start. For some reason, just saying "hey, just so you know, I'm into you" didn't seem like a very good starting place. Things were much easier when all Gladiolus had to do was protect Noctis and teach him how to fight.

"If you don't want to talk," Noctis sighed, "then you could just say so."

"It's not that!" Gladiolus suddenly said. "It's just...hell, I don't know how to do this talking thing."

"You talk to people all the time," Noctis argued. "Talking's your thing, you make friends everywhere we go."

"Yeah, but it's different!" Gladiolus shot back. "Other people aren't you."

Noctis looked away, clearly hurt by his words. "So it's me? I'm the problem?" And for just a moment, Gladiolus thought that he looked incredibly sad. "Is that why you avoided me that one time?"

"No," Gladiolus answered, then growled in frustration. "Yes. Look, it's not because of anything you did, okay? It has to do with you, but it's not your fault. I told you before I needed to sort some things out and I wasn't lying."

When Noctis looked back at him, he was glaring. "I think I have a right to know, Gladio. You're my Shield. We can't keep doing this weird thing where we can barely have a conversation without it turning awkward. So spill it. Don't make me order you."

Threatening to order someone to do something was something Noctis did often, but it was usually a joke. One look at the prince's face told Gladiolus that it was serious this time, even more serious than when he all but forced Ignis to stop working for three days, and Gladiolus suddenly felt slightly guilty for not checking up on his friend in the past few days. He hoped Ignis was doing fine and briefly wondered what he was up to. Probably being miserable, that was what.

But thoughts of Ignis couldn't be a distraction for any longer than a few seconds, not when Noctis was watching him with such intensity that it felt like he was trying to burn a pair of holes into his head with those piercing blue eyes of his.

"Fine," Gladiolus said, giving up. He can kick Noctis' ass in a sparring match, but this was one fight that he wasn't going to win. "Okay, Cyrus? I didn't tell you everything about him. Yeah, I met him in a nightclub. A gay nightclub. He was just being friendly, but he looked so much like you, so I..."

Noctis' eyes went wide with shock, hands gripping at the armrests of the chair. "What were you doing in a gay nightclub? I thought you were straight! Wait...did you _sleep with him!?_ "

At the suggestion, Gladiolus was horrified. "I didn't realize at first it was a gay nightclub and I am straight! Or, I thought I was. I didn't sleep with him, I just kissed him."

 _Oh, shit._ He hadn't meant to say that.

"You...kissed him," Noctis said, voice cracking. Then without warning, he stood up, face a blank mask trying to hide any emotion that was threatening to find its way to the surface. "I need to go."

Gladiolus reached out for him, but Noctis roughly pushed his hand away with a force that could only be powered by anger and hurt. "Noct, wait. Please. Hear me out."

" _I need to go._ " Noctis repeated, louder and more aggressively this time, like a cornered animal hissing at an attacker. Gladiolus withdrew his arm, wincing. "I'm sorry. I just. I can't handle this right now. Maybe later, but I can't do this now." He waited, but when Gladiolus put up no more resistance, he started for the dining room door, opening it and going right through and heading for the exit of the Amicitia household, shuffling out the door.

A few seconds later, Cyrus poked his head through the doorway, looked at Gladiolus, then the direction Noctis went, and followed the latter out.

* * *

Gladiolus has messed up many things in his life. For example, he once accidentally donated a picture book Iris had loved since she was a child to charity. As he scoured second hand bookstores and the internet for a replacement, he thought he would never screw up anything as badly as he did then.

Well, as those fighting video games Noctis and Prompto loved would say: a new challenger appeared.

Telling Noctis he made out with a guy who looked eerily like him was a strong contender for the title of "biggest mistake Gladiolus Amicitia has ever made in his life." And now said guy wasn't even there for him to talk to about it. Cyrus had left right after Noctis did. In short, there was only one person that Gladiolus could turn to.

> **Gladiolus:** Iggy
> 
> **Gladiolus:** I screwed up. Big time
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Iggy
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Ignis
> 
> **Gladiolus:** I no ur probably having the worst time of ur life right now but ur the only one I can turn to
> 
> **Ignis:** For gods' sake Gladio, it's only been five minutes since you sent that first text.
> 
> **Ignis:** And I would appreciate you not making assumptions of what my current mood is.
> 
> **Ignis:** Which was absolutely wonderful until a certain someone decided to start sending me needy text messages.
> 
> **Ignis:** That someone is you, by the way.
> 
> **Gladiolus:** How the hell do u type so fast?
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Without even making any typos?
> 
> **Ignis:** I have mastered the art of swipe typing.
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Whatever. Do u have time to talk or what?
> 
> **Ignis:** Prompto is here, but if this is that important I can find an excuse to get away.
> 
> **Ignis:** And I do mean IMPORTANT.
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Might as well bring him too. Hes gonna find out himself soon enough anyway
> 
> **Ignis:** What have you done, Gladiolus Amicitia?
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Ill explain when we see each other. Meet me at Boko Brewery at 6 tonight

Boko Brewery was a chocobo themed restaurant and bar that specialized in greasy food and craft beers, one of the favorite hangouts of Gladiolus and Ignis. (Not that Ignis would ever admit it and Gladiolus wasn't sure if it was because of the food or if it was because the man harbored a secret soft spot for chocobos.) And now it was a favorite of Prompto's. It was a surprise to everyone, including Prompto himself, that he didn't know about the place beforehand.

Gladiolus was the first to arrive, the hostess seating him at a booth, and a few minutes later, he saw his two friends walking in together and he waved them down from across the bar and they chose to sit beside each other across from him. The moment he sat down, Prompto was scanning both the menu and the drink list, commenting on everything he saw that looked appealing. And _everything_ looked appealing to him.

"They have fried gysahl chips! I love those things!"

"Focus, Prompto," Ignis said, and Gladiolus could hear the unrestrained affection in his voice. Funny. Ignis was usually reserved and careful with not letting _things_ slip into his tone. "We're here because Gladio needs us."

"Right," Prompto said and made a show of folding the menu and putting it back on the table. He leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table and supporting his chin with his hand. "So what's up, big guy?"

"I messed things up with Noct," Gladiolus answered and he saw Ignis frown. "He came by unannounced. Said he wanted to talk. Didn't want to talk afterward."

"I hardly think that's the entire story," Ignis said, voice a low monotone. "How about you give us more detail about what happened?"

"Wait," Prompto interrupted, putting a hand out to the middle of the table as if he were trying to physically stop them from doing anything. "Back up here. What's this about Noct? What did you mess up, Gladio? I'm feeling a little out of the loop here, so clue a guy in?"

Gladiolus had, for a moment, forgotten that Prompto was entirely ignorant of his whole situation with Noctis. When thinking about Noctis and trying to come up with ways to do...something, anything with the prince occupied a good amount of Gladiolus' thoughts, it was easy to forget that to the outsider, he looked perfectly normal. "Alright, so, let me start from the begin-"

"Gladio has feelings for Noct," Ignis interjected, cutting him off entirely. Prompto looked from Ignis to Gladiolus and back again, clearly woefully underprepared for the revelation that was just dumped onto him.

"Iggy, you don't just drop that on people," Gladiolus hissed at him. He was less upset about Prompto being overwhelmed by the unexpected news and more angry that Ignis decided to take it upon himself to spill the beans. And that he had done it in such a careless manner! _This is why you don't have a lot of friends, Iggy,_ he thought.

"If I leave it to you, we'll be here an hour listening to your meandering recollections of the past few months," Ignis snarled back, crossing his arms and looking completely unrepentant for what he had just done. "I've already had to listen to it once. I am not listening to it again, certainly not the updated _extended version_ , and I have sufficiently summarized it for you in a single sentence."

Sometimes, Ignis was Gladiolus' best friend. Other times, Ignis was the prickliest, frostiest, and cruelest bastard that he had the misfortune of knowing.

Fine. Whatever. It was out now and Gladiolus was going to have to work with it. "Alright, so Noct wanted to talk and Cyrus there and I ended up having to tell him I kissed Cyrus so-"

Another interruption happened, this time from Prompto. "Wait, who's Cyrus?"

"You would know if Iggy would have let me tell the damn story," Gladiolus replied, shooting a look at the man in question. The only response he got was Ignis turning away and giving him a haughty sound of contempt, still not sorry for a single thing. "Cyrus is this guy I met at a club who looks like Noct. A lot like him."

" _Dude_ ," Prompto said, giving him a judging look. Up until then, Gladiolus didn't realize that Prompto _could_ give judging looks. It was something akin to how a dog looked when it was highly disappointed by something. He didn't realize the word _dude_ could be used in such a way either. Today was just full of surprises.

At that point, a waitress came to take their orders, so the discussion was put on hold momentarily. Prompto dropped his look of minor contempt in an instant to return to his usual, cheerful demeanor as he ordered something delicious and rather heavy on calories, complaining afterward that he was going to have to run it all off the next day, but not sounding at all regretful about it.

Gladiolus finally convinced Ignis to let him tell _some_ of the story to Prompto, but only a heavily condensed version that stuck to the major happenings, Ignis cutting in whenever Gladiolus started to go off topic or add too many unnecessary details. The entire thing took a much more modest fifteen minutes with editor Ignis on the job.

"Hoo boy," Prompto said when it was finally finished. "That sounds- oh hey, food's here!"

There was another lull in conversation as their food was served, generous portions for three physically fit men. Prompto let out a squeal of delight before digging into his plate.

"So," Gladiolus said with half a mouthful of food, making Ignis scrunch his face in distaste. "Any suggestions? Advice?"

"None whatsoever," Ignis replied, looking less interested in giving words of wisdom than he was in his plate of fried cockatrice. Which he ate with a knife and fork like a weirdo. Beside him, Prompto closed his eyes and nodded in solemn agreement.

Some help those two were! Wonderful friends, the both of them. "What do you mean _none!?_ " Gladiolus asked, frowning at them both.

"There is no magic fix for anything," Ignis said, then looked him in the eye, as if daring him to say anything about Cup Noodles. "That is especially true for relationships between living, sentient beings like ourselves."

"Yeah," Prompto agreed. "When it comes down to it...I don't think this is something either you or Noct are ready for. If it's ever going to happen at all." He paused to scoop a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth before pointing the utensil accusingly at Gladiolus. "I mean, you don't have the best track record with dating and you just figured out you're like, maybe fifteen percent gay. You went out and kissed a dude who reminded you of the guy who made you fifteen percent gay. Then you told the guy who made you fifteen percent gay you kissed a dude who looked like him. That's not exactly looking good on you, Gladio."

The truth hurts and Gladiolus nearly winced at having it presented to him plainly. Uniquely, but plainly. "And Noct?"

"Noct's got a lot of shit to deal with," Prompto continued. "And he's not good at the touchy feely stuff. You know how many girls - and guys - confessed their love to him in school? I'll tell you: way too many. And not once has he ever had a crush on anybody. I don't think he knows what to do. In other words, you two..." he paused to pick up a fried gysahl chip and toss it into his mouth. "...are a total mess just waiting to happen."

Ignis had nothing else to add except an "indeed" to let Gladiolus know that he was in complete agreement with Prompto.

Yep. Best friends ever. "So you guys saying we'll never work out?"

"Goodness, no."

"Never said that, dude."

"Assuming Noct is interested in reciprocating your feelings," Ignis said, looking thoughtful as he took a sip of his drink. "The two of you have to tread lightly with lots of communication and understanding."

"And spend a lot of time together," Prompto added. "I mean, hanging out for fun. Not training. And don't give me any of that "training is fun" stuff, Gladio, that's not what I mean and you know it."

"And then what?" Gladiolus asked.

"And then you can discuss the possibility of a relationship," Ignis finished. Prompto gave an affirmative hum to reinforce it.

Were they serious?

"Don't look at us like that, man," Prompto shrugged, reaching for another fried gysahl chip. "God these things are delicious. Anyway, this isn't the same as meeting a girl at a bar and getting her number. This is Noct, who you've known for years and as you just told us, you screwed up bad. You're in like, negative affection points right now."

They were serious.

"The hell are "affection points!?"" Gladiolus grumbled.

Prompto gave a sigh. "Never mind, it's not important. Look, I'll help you out a bit. I'll talk to Noct and hopefully he doesn't hate you forever. And if he does, I'll try to convince him to cut it down to maybe a week or something. No guarantees. In the meantime, you figure out what you're going to say to him when you two talk again."

"And what's Iggy going to do?"

"Be quietly supportive in the shadows," Ignis answered.

"So, nothing."

"If you want to call it that."

"Then I will," Gladiolus said. _Some best friend you are,_ he thought, albeit good naturedly. He was well aware that Ignis had no obligation to do anything in this situation. Or, more likely, he didn't know anything he could do to help. Ignis was never one to let his friends flounder, but he also knew better than to needlessly stick his nose in if he wouldn't be of any use. Gladiolus looked down to his food, realizing that he should get back to eating if he didn't want it to go cold. "By the way," he said, picking up a fried basilisk wing that was dripping with hot sauce. "Congratulations, you two."

Both Ignis and Prompto paused their own eating to stare at him in confusion.

"Don't think I don't see you two holding hands under the table there."

The two of them immediately drew their hands back, earning a chuckle from Gladiolus.

"You two are adorable. Total assholes, especially when you team up, but adorable."

* * *

The following week was pure torture. Gladiolus didn't see Noctis at all, the prince choosing to train on his own rather than with him. He did whatever he could to keep busy. He lavished attention onto Iris, read books, and watched more soap operas than was probably considered healthy. He had fallen back on one of his usual problem coping mechanisms: pretending there wasn't a problem until said problem went away.

Prompto had texted him at some point to tell him that Noctis seemed to be more upset than angry and that he probably just needed time to sort himself out. It was also accompanied by a reminder to think about what Gladiolus wanted to say when Noctis finally did talk him again.

He hadn't thought about it at all. It turned out to be a mistake because despite the week, contact came sooner than he thought it would.

> **Noctis:** gladio?
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Noct?
> 
> **Noctis:** im not sure if im ready to talk to u in person yet
> 
> **Noctis:** so specs suggested i text you instead
> 
> **Noctis:** is that ok?

It wasn't something Gladiolus was expecting, to have conversations over text message. But if that was all Noctis could manage at the moment, he was going to take it. The time having no contact with him at all was threatening to drive him insane. He was also surprised to learn that Ignis was apparently the one who suggested this to Noctis. Especially when Ignis said he wasn't going to do anything.

No, that wasn't right. Ignis never claimed he was going to do nothing. He just gave that stupid "supporting from the shadows" line. Gladiolus didn't expect that to actually mean anything.

> **Gladiolus:** Yeah. Its fine

Everything started out, in a word, awkwardly. Neither of them wanted to approach the difficult topics so they made small talk instead. They started with the smallest of small talk topics first: the weather, both of them complaining that it was too cold.

This went on for a few days, with Gladiolus checking his phone several times an hour to see if Noctis sent him any replies even though he knew he hadn't. His phone was set to notify him every time he got a message, yet he still felt a compulsive need to check. Their conversations eventually evolved into real talk, discussing the visit of Lunafreya and the Tenebraean diplomats. They swapped stories on what they had done each day, and at some point, Gladiolus dropped the news that Ignis and Prompto were now an _item_ , much to Noctis' surprise.

> **Noctis:** so if ignis and prompto are a thing
> 
> **Noctis:** what does that make us?

There was that question again and Gladiolus still didn't know the answer to it and he was pretty sure he wasn't going to come up with an answer as he was walking down the Citadel halls heading for the elevator to leave for the day.

> **Gladiolus:** Dont know. Does it really matter right now?
> 
> **Gladiolus:** We can figure it out ourselves at our own pace
> 
> **Noctis:** i guess
> 
> **Noctis:** i mean
> 
> **Noctis:** i like you
> 
> **Noctis:** you like me
> 
> **Noctis:** thats gotta count for something right?

Gladiolus stared at his phone, rereading Noctis' grammatically incorrect text messages repeatedly to the point where he almost missed the elevator going down. The words "i like you" stuck out in his mind and made his throat tighten up.

> **Gladiolus:** Who told you that?
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Was it Iggy? Or Prompto?
> 
> **Gladiolus:** Actually it doesnt matter which one it was Im going to kick both their asses
> 
> **Noctis:** not telling

It was as if the fence that had been put up between them had been knocked down and for the first time, Gladiolus felt like they were having a normal conversation like they used to in the past. He hadn't realized how much he missed it until it was gone and now that it was back, it felt both comforting and familiar.

More importantly, it was like Noctis was back to being himself.

> **Noctis:** gladio
> 
> **Noctis:** lets talk. in person
> 
> **Noctis:** prompto's not coming home tonight so we can have the place to ourselves

The elevator rang its bell as it reached the ground floor of the Citadel, the doors opening to let Gladiolus out. He hesitated, thinking things over as he walked across the lobby, trying to decide whether this was a good idea or not.

> **Gladiolus:** Ill be there in an hour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk heavy chapters always make me feel weird.
> 
> Also we have the official end coming up! How exciting!


	16. You and Me

To say Prompto Argentum was happy would be a vast understatement. Everything in his life was looking up. His grades were good, he was seeing improvements in his physical abilities thanks to a tough, but undoubtedly helpful training regimen. The redheaded waitress at the Treno Café gave him a gift card for being such a great customer. He got to, at long last, finally meet Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Princess of Tenebrae and the Oracle.

Oh, and he had a boyfriend now. There was that too.

It was the third day of the Tenebraean diplomatic visit and once again, he was spending the day at Ignis' apartment. Since the previous day's confessions, he had expected things to change drastically between them, but they didn't. They still did the same comfortable activities with each other, just with the occasional small shows of affection sprinkled through them like an embrace here or a quick kiss there.

He found he liked it better this way. It meant that they really didn't have to treat each other all that differently. Like this was just a natural addition to the relationship they already had. He just didn't have to hide the _massive crush_ he had been harboring for months anymore.

He wasn't sure how long he would have been able to keep it concealed anyway.

Ignis always seemed to know just what to say. He always seemed to find something to praise about Prompto or know just the right advice to give him to help him through a rough patch of his life. Prompto had always quietly admired Ignis, specifically the way he always tried to be useful and helpful to not just Noctis, but just about everyone. He went about it so calmly and competently he seemed like a creature sculpted by the Astrals themselves to be perfect.

Prompto knew he wasn't perfect, however. He's seen the way Ignis instinctively searched for the nearest can of Ebony whenever he was stressed out and how he became irritable and a bit standoffish when he was frustrated or annoyed. He's seen how vulnerable Ignis got when something _finally_ overwhelms him and how gentle and peaceful he looked when he finally gets some rest. None of these flaws lowered Prompto's opinion of him. All they really did was prove he was human, just like everyone else.

It was a shame that so many people seemed to treat Ignis like he wasn't.

The next day was the day when Lunafreya and the Tenebraean diplomats would be leaving Insomnia and Prompto and Ignis were spending it each other's company once again, curled up beside each other on the couch as the television played a movie, but the truth was neither of them were watching. They were far too occupied with enjoying each other's presence.

Well, they were until Ignis' phone beeped and vibrated from its spot on the coffee table.

"Gladio," Ignis said, not even having to look at his phone. He had assigned a unique combination of vibrations and sound effects to the most important people in his contact list so he could identify a messenger without even having to look at his phone. He made no move to pick up the phone, apparently deeming it not important enough to move from his spot on the couch.

But then another message came in. And then another. And another. Apparently, Gladiolus refused to be ignored and Prompto felt Ignis take a deep breath before reluctantly reaching out to pick up his phone. Prompto watched him swipe the keyboard on the screen with one hand, the other seeking out Prompto's hand to hold. Even though Ignis had a frown on his face, Prompto still found it to be a sweet gesture.

"Gladio appears to be having a personal crisis," Ignis explained, nonchalantly. "He has invited us to dinner so that he can tell us all about it."

Free meal and being able to help out a friend? Prompto would take it.

* * *

Gladiolus' "personal crisis" turned out to be more like a complete disaster. Prompto's head nearly spun as he was brought up to speed on what was apparently a drama several months in the making. Neither Gladiolus nor Noctis had mentioned this maybe romance in all the times he spoke to them and he couldn't help but feel a little sad that they didn't trust him enough to talk about it with him despite his usual questions asking how they were on any given day.

But he also knew they were both people who kept these kinds of things to themselves. And that tendency was part of the reason they were in this mess to begin with. As much as he admonished Gladiolus for his bad choices, he couldn't let his poor friends suffer and agreed to help out in whatever small ways he could. There wasn't much he could do as this was something only Gladiolus and Noctis could sort out themselves, but he could help the process along in small ways, namely helping Noctis open up and be willing to make up.

"I'm home!" he announced as he opened the door to the apartment he and Noctis shared, but there was no Noctis in sight. By this time of night, Noctis was usually getting a couple hours of video games in before he retired for the night, so to not see him there was odd and mildly concerning. For a moment, he thought that meant that Noctis wasn't home, but down the hallway, he could see the light in Noctis' bedroom peeking out from underneath the door. Approaching it carefully, as if the door could hop up and run away from him if he went too fast, Prompto lifted a fist to rap lightly on it three times. When he received no answer, he weighed his options before trying the handle, finding it to be unlocked.

Noctis was, it turns out, in, lying on his bed looking listless. He wasn't even asleep: his eyes were opened and they moved in response to Prompto opening the door to look at him, but he was otherwise motionless except for the rise and fall of his chest from breathing. It was worrying to see. Even a sleeping Noctis looked more awake and full of life than this catatonic Noctis.

"Noct?" Prompto asked as he moved closer to the bed, stopping a respectful few feet away. "I'm not gonna ask if you're okay because you're obviously not. Wanna talk about it? I'm here for you."

"Not really," came the reply, and Prompto felt sad for his best friend. It was even worse seeing as he already knew the cause of the prince's mood.

"Alright, I get it," he responded, but he moved closer to reach over to grab Noctis' wrist and give it a light tug. "But come on. Up. It's not good for you to just lie around like that moping." Noctis didn't get up and Prompto knew it wasn't going to be that easy. "I know it's tough. I have days like this too, but please? I won't make you talk or anything, I swear, we're just gonna do stuff, you and me."

At the promise, Noctis sat up and let himself be led out of his room and into the living area with a shuffle, where Prompto had him sit on the couch, turned on the television and the game system to start up streaming services. He scrolled through the options with practiced ease until he came to a section he was unfamiliar with before finding and starting up what he was looking for.

The Fisherman's Horizon theme song started to play and Noctis, who was previously staring at nothing, snapped to attention and focused his eyes on the television screen. "But you hate this," he pointed out.

Prompto didn't even try to deny it. "Yeah, I do," he agreed. "but I'll marathon this shitty soap opera three times in a row if it helps you feel better."

"It's not shitty," Noctis muttered, but it was having an effect like Prompto hoped it would. He could see Noctis starting to relax and look, well, less depressed than he was before.

Prompto tried to pay attention to the show. He really, really did. But there were too many characters and too many plot lines going on at the same time. Half of the actors resembeled someone else in the cast and he couldn't remember anyone's name. The acting was wooden, everyone on screen moving as if they were posable action figures rather than human beings. The dialogue was stock, dry, and stilted and everyone spoke really slowly. Prompto was pretty sure they were just trying to extend the run time of the show without having to produce more content. Finally, he had to ask, "So, what's going on?"

The reply was immediate. "Honestly, I have no idea either."

"You gonna tell me again this isn't shitty?"

"It's not- okay yeah, it's shitty. But I still like it," Noctis admitted. "Usually, Gladio explains it for me. He said it gets better in the later seasons and..."

...and all of the progress Prompto had made trying to cheer his best friend up was gone instant, like a fishing line snapping after a long extended struggle. The mere thought of Gladiolus was sending Noctis back down the depression spiral. It was time to pull him out of it.

"Is this about Gladio?" Prompto asked, pretending he didn't already know that it was. He hoped that he hadn't given himself away with the question. It was a natural thing to ask, right? Any normal person would connect the dots that Noctis' mood took a complete nosedive the moment Gladiolus' name came up in the conversation.

Noctis looked a bit hesitant before answering. "Yeah, it is. Prompto, this is going to sound really weird, but, uh...Gladio and I had this thing going on. I think."

Reaching over to the game controller, Prompto pressed the button to pause the show. "A thing? You think? And had? As in past tense?" He's never heard Noctis talk like this before, but then again, Noctis never even tip toed into the world of dating before either.

"This is going to sound really stupid," Noctis said. "but I like Gladio. As in _like_ like. And I thought he liked me too. I know, I know, he's straight, but I think he might not be..." he scrunched his face looking for the right words to use. "...totally straight."

None of this was new information to Prompto, but he acted like it was. "I don't think it sounds stupid, dude."

"Well, it is," Noctis insisted with a grunt. "because I just found out he kissed some guy that looks like me. I saw the guy, it's almost scary how much he looks like me. So I yelled at him and ran away."

"That's understandable," Prompto said, trying desperately to not think about Ignis kissing some other guy who looked a lot like himself. Not that there were many of those in Insomnia. While he wasn't the only blond haired guy by a long shot, it was pretty uncommon. His parents think he's of either Niflheim or Tenebraean descent. "I think anyone would be upset to see the person they like kissing someone else. And totally freaked out if it was someone who looked a lot like them."

"I should have stayed and let him explain," Noctis continued, curling himself into a ball on the couch. "but I didn't. I felt betrayed. I was so angry I couldn't think of anything other than how hurt I was." Looking up at Prompto, Noctis managed a weak smile. "Guess that's just me being selfish again, huh?"

Prompto reached out for him, his face kind. "This is gonna sound weird coming from me considering...you know, but I don't think you did anything wrong. Maybe not _right_ , but it's not wrong to feel that way."

"I feel like I should hate him," Noctis said. "I can't, though."

"Look at it this way," Prompto said, forcing a cheerful smile onto his face. "You could be kind of flattered that Gladio's apparently so into you he had to go find a guy who looks like you to smooch."

Noctis muttered something incomprehensible and refused to repeat it when asked. Instead, he said, "Thanks, Prompto."

"Don't sweat it," Prompto said, reaching for the game controller again. "Want to keep watching?"

"Actually," Noctis said, beating him to it and taking the controller for himself. "Let's watch a sci-fi flick instead."

Silently, Prompto thanked the gods for this small mercy upon his soul.

* * *

Things had gone better than Prompto expected, but honestly, Prompto tended to expect the absolute worst. On the plus side, it meant he rarely failed to meet his own expectations. Using a group chat, he told Gladiolus and Ignis what he had found out: that Noctis was more sad than anything else and he begged them to work out a solution because he did _not_ like seeing his best friend like this. It was bad enough when Noctis was cowering from him in the time immediately following their fight. This was even worse, because it wasn't something Prompto himself could fix no matter how much he wanted to.

As it turned out, Ignis was the one with a plan because when didn't he have one? He had waited for Noctis to contact him asking for help, because he knew it would happen and gently steered him down a path towards reconciliation with Gladiolus, beginning with simple, non threatening text messages that the two of them could work their way upwards from. Both their parts done, all Prompto and Ignis could do was wait and be on standby in case damage control was needed.

Their usual Tuesday rolled around and Ignis decided it was the right time to put in the last step of Operation: Get Noct and Gladio Back Together Again. (Prompto's name for it, not Ignis') Noctis and Gladiolus were getting along once again and so it was time to give them the chance to talk things out in person. It was a bit risky, but it had to be done. They could not maintain a relationship, much less their prince and Shield arrangement if the only way they were able to talk to each other was over text message.

Ignis was the one to plant the suggestion in Noctis' mind, building up his confidence and urging him to take the next step in mending his fractured relationship with Gladiolus. Prompto wished he could have helped, but this was a job that called for delicate subtlety and therefore that talented Scientia flair. Noctis and Gladiolus would need time and space alone and the most logical and convenient place would be Noctis' apartment.

Which meant Prompto got to spend the night at Ignis'. The first, and only, time he had stayed over for the night, Prompto had felt uncomfortable and out of place, but this time, after months of visiting, he felt like the apartment was a second home. It certainly looked more lived in these days: objects were moved, books read, and electronics used. It felt more like a place Ignis lived in rather than the place he would spend the night before returning to work the next morning.

With an evening all to themselves, they had planned a date, a real, honest to Ramuh date. It was nothing fancy. In fact, they didn't plan to leave the apartment at all. A nice, simple, stay at home (well, Ignis' home) open romantic evening. The moment they arrived, both their phones were put on silent to prevent any unwanted interruptions.

If Prompto were to be totally honest, it was a lot like their usual meet ups, just kicked up a notch. It started out much the same: they made a meal together, but this time the food was fancier. Even though his cooking skills had grown exponentially, Prompto didn't consider himself anywhere near an expert on food. Still, he thought their final dish looked like something that could have been served at a fancy restaurant. Ignis even broke out a wine bottle to go with it, a sweet red wine with a distinctly fruity flavor. It was tasty, as was the food, although what Prompto would say he liked best was the playful looks Ignis would give him every so often.

The whole thing was so simple, yet Prompto loved every moment of it. He was never one for public displays of affection, a fact that each and every one of his friends were keenly aware of thanks to his tendency to complain every time he saw a couple being overly affectionate in public. This sort of thing was private and intimate, something for just him and Ignis to share between them and with no one else. It was, in his opinion, insanely romantic.

Romantic was also playing video games together. It was fun not just to play, but to watch the way Ignis would put in every ounce of effort into every game he played, eyes trained on the screen. His eyes would narrow slightly whenever he hit a difficult section and Prompto found it equal parts hilarious and cute. At one point, he quietly leaned in to plant a kiss on Ignis' cheek as he attempted a hard jump, causing him to lose his concentration and completely fail the jump, his character plummeting into a bottomless pit and certain doom. The look Prompto got in return was full of fury, but the fact that Ignis was getting so passionate over a video game tempered the rage and made it funny rather than frightening. However, Prompto realized he shouldn't push his luck and try that stunt again anytime soon if he knew what was good for him.

Ignis couldn't stay mad at him for long, however, and video games soon gave way to conversation, this time about subjects that they never dared speak about before.

"I always thought you were good looking," Prompto said as Ignis poured him a new glass of wine. "And I was always kinda jealous over how much attention you give Noct all the time, even though that's literally your job. I think it got really serious when we started talking to each other. You take time out of your day to listen, really listen, to what I have to say and you remember it. You ask me about my day and it's not just a politeness thing, you actually care. Then it got kind of out of control when you said you only wanted to play Assassin's Creed with me around and I was like, "yep, I definitely want to make out with this guy." Kinda dumb, don't you think?"

"Not as dumb as wanting to play a single player game only when a specific person is around to watch you," Ignis chuckled. "It was Noct's game, but I associated it completely with you, Prompto, and I couldn't imagine playing it with anyone else or even alone."

"What about you?" Prompto asked. "When did you start liking me?"

"Truthfully, I don't know," Ignis admitted as he put the wine bottle down on the table. "I suspect it was building for quite a while and I was simply unaware of it up until the point I wasn't. The most I can give you is when I realized it, and that was the day you found me in the conference room about to completely fall apart from stress." He picked up his own glass of wine and stared down into the red liquid almost shyly. "No one had ever seen me like that before, not even Gladio. And you treated me with a care and kindness no one had ever shown me."

Prompto remembered that day. It was the first time he'd ever seen Ignis as a genuine, complete mess. He just had to do something, and that something just happened to be spending the evening at Ignis' apartment, making him a meal, and introducing him to video games. And, yeah, okay, now that he thought about it, if someone had done that for him, he would have totally fallen in love with them right then and there no questions asked. That really was the start of them moving past the "friends" stage of their relationship, wasn't it?

Although it did bother him that apparently nobody had ever done something like that for Ignis before. He changed the topic.

"We do the same thing all the time," Prompto said. "I'm not complaining or anything, actually, I think it's great. But if we were to do something different, what would you want to do?"

Ignis seemed to think about the question for a few seconds before answering. "I'd like to take a trip outside the city," he said. "I don't have a particular destination in mind. It could be Galdin Quay or Lestallum or even across the sea to Accordo or Tenebrae. I'm not particularly picky. I just think it would be nice to leave Insomnia for a while."

"Planning romantic getaways already?" Prompto joked. But he understood where Ignis was coming from. Both of them were needed here in Insomnia. Prompto was a Crownsguard and on the shortlist whenever it came to giving Noctis protection. Ignis was in the same situation, but with the added responsibilities of being advisor to the prince and overseeing some of the administrative duties of the government. While managing a vacation was difficult enough for the regular crown citizen, for them, it was an even bigger challenge. "Maybe we can go somewhere for a long weekend. If we drag Noct and Gladio along with us, we could probably bump it up to a whole week or something."

"That would be taking advantage of our friends," Ignis chided lightly, but then he leaned in to give Prompto a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth. "What a clever idea. I doubt they'd complain too much if we left them to their own devices."

This time, Prompto didn't feel guilty about showering in Ignis' guest bathroom. He didn't feel guilty using his fancy soaps and shampoos and lotions. Instead, he could appreciate how nice the smelled without being overpowering. He might have thought about investing in scented products himself, but Noctis already thought he was girly enough.

Once he finished, he got dressed and visited Ignis in his bedroom long enough to give him a good night kiss before retreating back to the guest room. The idea of sharing a bed sounded really enticing, but Prompto knew that neither of them were ready for that just yet. There was no need to rush anything and they could take things at their own pace. At this point, he was perfectly happy to spend the night in the guest room.

The next day was normal. He arrived with Ignis at the Citadel to the whispers of staff, Crownsguard, and Kingsglaive alike. That was fine with him. They could speculate all they wanted, but neither of them were going to confirm or deny anything either way. It wasn't any of their business to know anything. But if word got out, well, it wasn't like Prompto was ashamed or anything and he didn't think Ignis was either. They just preferred their privacy.

With school over, and over _forever_ , Prompto found his schedule had cleared up quite a bit. He could start concentrating more on training or slotting in more time with friends. He could see Ignis more, of course, but he also wanted to make more time for Noctis as the two of them hadn't seen each other much lately and he once promised to show Gladiolus what _real_ ramen noodles were like.

But those could wait, because right now, after a day of duty and training, he could really do with a nice meal, a shower, and an early bedtime.

"Evening, Noct," he said as he entered the apartment to the sounds of fishing themed soap operas playing on the television. When he got no response, he assumed that Noctis was too wrapped up in ridiculously contrived drama to say hello back to him. One look at the couch, however, told him a different story. "Oh. I'll just...make a sandwich and go to bed."

And he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some cute before the Big Talk next chapter


	17. What You Want

"Are you alright, Your Highness?"

Noctis stalked past Jared as quickly as he could. He didn't dare risk stopping to answer the butler, who had done nothing to wrong him and was only concerned about him. He didn't trust himself to not take out his anger on the man and kept going until he was out the Amicitia front door, forcing himself to not slam the door as he exited. He thought about the fastest way to get back home and wondered if it was worth hailing down a taxi before deciding against it. He didn't want to possibly get stuck with a chatty driver or an unethical one that would take meandering detours just to rack up the fare. The subway it was. He turned to shuffle down the street.

"Noctis! Please wait!" called a voice that was even and polite. Noctis paused and turned around to see that damn doppelganger of his jogging down the street to catch up to him.

"What do _you_ want?" he growled. Cyrus stopped a few feet away, wincing. "Go back to Gladio. Since he seems to like you more than me."

"That's not..." the other young man started, looking down at the concrete beneath their feet. He looked back up and at Noctis' face, sapphire eyes meeting stonewash. "That's not true. As much as I wish it was."

"I kind of doubt that," Noctis shot back. "You're the one he kissed, after all."

"And you're the one he was thinking about when he did," Cyrus replied. "He probably didn't tell you this, but he called me by your name right after he did. He talks about you all the time. He's...very in love with you."

Noctis paused, finding it difficult to remain angry at someone who was trying so hard to appease him. His face softened, rage melting away to curiosity. "What does he say?"

Cyrus smiled. "Let's not talk about it here in the middle of the street."

A nearby park doesn't offer all that much more in terms of privacy, but it at least didn't look as awkward as standing in the middle of the sidewalk on a public road. Plus there were benches they could sit on. In the late autumn weather, there isn't much to look at in terms of plants, but Noctis found himself enjoying the scenery nonetheless. Bare trees were a nice change from the concrete and stone he saw on a daily basis.

Noctis listened with rapt attention as Cyrus told him that Gladiolus had talked about Noctis' qualities, both good and bad.

"I think the exact phrase he used was "self-centered and a brat, but also incredibly kind.""

The first two, Noctis could see much to his embarrassment, but that last one? That was a little hard to believe.

"It doesn't have to be now, but please talk to him," Cyrus said. "Even if you don't care for him in that way. He's been struggling a lot." When asked about these struggles, Cyrus simply said it was not his place to tell. "He's your Shield, isn't he? You two should at least be friends again."

"I'll think about it," Noctis said. Of course he wanted to talk. He just wasn't sure if he could. "You know, you're not so bad."

"I'm glad," Cyrus replied. "Sorry for not recognizing you earlier. I know I'm kind of...spacey. It makes me feel stupid and like I can't do anything right."

Leaning back against the bench, Noctis gave a sigh, watching as his breath condensed in the cold air. Yeah, he knew what it's like to feel stupid. He knew too well what it feels like to be helpless.

"Nah, you're not stupid. I am."

* * *

With his anger cooled, all that was left was a lingering feeling of sadness that Noctis couldn't shake even after he returned to the apartment. He tried going about his usual routines, but nothing seemed to work. Video games failed to capture him the way they normally did, and his phone looked like nothing but a cheap toy. All he could do was marvel at the fact that he had gone from feeling great about himself regarding his successful handling of the diplomat visit to awful in the blink of an eye.

He didn't want to play games or watch movies or go somewhere to pass the time. He didn't want to do _anything_ , and that was how he wound up lying pitifully in his bed and how Prompto found him in such a shameful state.

Noctis was not normally one for talking about his feelings, but he had poured everything out to Prompto. It was difficult to talk at first, but once he got started, he couldn't stop the words from flowing. Pent up thoughts and feelings that had been screaming to escape from him finally found freedom and for the first time in hours, Noctis felt something other than a dull, persistent hurt. It was cathartic.

He had fully expected Prompto to, at the very least, make fun of him, but his friend did nothing of the sort. In fact, Prompto had done the unthinkable and willingly watched an episode of Fisherman's Horizon with him. Although Prompto didn't really say anything helpful, not that he could, what he did say was comforting and helped Noctis feel just a little bit better.

Wondering what he had done to deserve such a wonderful friend, Noctis spent the rest of the night without giving a single thought to Gladiolus Amicitia.

A few days later left Noctis feeling less numb, but still far from normal. Prompto was a pal who listened to him whenever he needed it, but Noctis knew that Prompto alone wasn't enough. He needed more than just reassurances, plus he knew it wasn't fair to just dump everything on Prompto. He had already made the mistake of taking advantage of his friend once. He wasn't about to do it again.

Fortunately, Ignis was literally right there in front of him, the two of them going over meeting reports and papers, the first time they'd done that since...Noctis couldn't remember the last time they did it.

"Ignis," Noctis said as he finished the last paper that was given to him. "I need your help."

"I am always available to you, Noct," Ignis replied, putting his own papers down. "How may I be of assistance?"

"You remember that time I asked you what to do when I upset someone?" Noctis asked, continuing without giving Ignis a chance to reply. Of course Ignis remembered. Ignis remembered everything. "Well, now I need help for what do I do when _I'm_ the one who was upset?"

"This is about your predicament with Gladio, is it not?" Ignis asked and Noctis was briefly surprised to find out that he had known about it. Sure, Ignis knew lots of things, but he hadn't expected this to be one of them. But then he realized that Gladiolus must have told him. The two of them were best friends, after all.

"I haven't heard from him at all," Noctis said.

At that, he could hear Ignis chuckle lightly. "I'm not surprised. Gladio is a confident man, but the moment he loses that confidence, he becomes rather meek and timid as well as standoffish. In this case, it's up to you to initiate contact."

He was afraid of that. Of course that was the answer. It was the only answer. Unless Noctis wanted to live like this forever, this was the only option left to him. "The last time I tried to talk to him, it didn't go so well."

He expected Ignis to tell him to suck it up and just do it, like how Ignis would tell him to just do his royal duties for once. But the words never came and looking at his chamberlain's face, Ignis was apparently lost in thought, a hand on his chin and brows furrowed in concentration. Noctis was left sitting awkwardly and just as he was about to reach over and give Ignis an experimental poke, the man suddenly moved, snapping his fingers as if he had concocted a new recipe.

"Noct, would text message be an acceptable alternative?" he suggested. "It's the perfect way to keep in contact with someone you can't see, either physically or emotionally. Modern technology truly is a marvel."

Removing his phone from his pocket, Noctis looked down at the screen, which was asking him for either a fingerprint or a password. "I can do that," he said, even though his finger hovered a couple inches over his device hesitantly.

"Do you need help coming up with something to say to him?" Ignis asked, but Noctis shook his head.

"No. Thanks, Ignis, but this is my responsibility. You already clean up enough of my messes; I won't make you clean this one up too." And with that declaration, he pushed his thumb down onto his phone to unlock it and opened up his text messaging app. "I'll be fine. Go do something you want to do."

Ignis stayed right where he was.

* * *

Talking over text message was a lot more awkward than Noctis thought it would be. He started reading something into everything and nothing at all. He scrutinized every word Gladiolus sent him and he even took the time to pour over the amount of time it took for replies to come in. He kept wondering if a pause meant that Gladiolus was trying to think of something to say, if he was too busy to reply, or if he had decided to just give him the cold shoulder. Again.

But no matter how long it took, he always got a reply back.

Neither of them seemed to be able to bring up the argument they had and that was just fine with him. Instead they talked about meaningless things, eventually working their way to things that were slightly less meaningless. And then slightly slightly less meaningless. Things were slow going, but Noctis found that he was okay with that. The more comfortable they got to talking to each other again, the better this would be.

He debated just having the dreaded conversation they both knew was coming over text. Do it over the phone so they didn't have to force themselves to look at each other. On the phone, you can read over what you want to say before you send it. You could potentially catch any dumb stupid mistakes before the other person got your message. It would be a pain in the ass to type that much, but that was one of the trade offs.

Eventually, he decided against it. Noctis once heard it was a serious dick move to break up with someone over text message. He wasn't sure if making up with them over text was the same way. Best not to risk it. Besides, he knew that trying to do that was a hasty stopgap measure at best. He and Gladiolus needed to have a face-to-face confrontation eventually. If they didn't do it on their own, circumstance would force them together sooner or later. Noctis would rather choose to have it on his own volition. Enough things were out of his control already, so he'd take hold of this and do it his way on his terms. Ignis, being Ignis, noticed this and wholeheartedly supported him.

The perfect opportunity presented itself when one Tuesday morning, Prompto told him he wasn't going to be back until the next day and that he was spending the night at Ignis'.

"Thanks for the heads up," Noctis said, and already he was pulling out his phone to send a text message. However, he paused, looking at his roommate and friend. "Make sure Specs screams your name nice and loud tonight."

Prompto nearly dropped the dirty plate he was holding, halfway to the kitchen sink to wash it. He was frozen in shock for a few seconds before turning around, sputtering out half finished sentences like "how did you...?" and "when I see Gladio, I'm gonna...!"

Noctis couldn't help but snicker. "But really, I'm happy for you," he continued, walking over to take the plate from Prompto's hand and put it in the sink. He reached over to the faucet to turn it on, a column of pressurized water splashing onto the plate. "I should have known something was up, what with you going to his place every week."

Finally remembering how to speak, Prompto replied, "Okay, yeah, me and Iggy are a thing now, but we aren't banging."

The unsaid "yet" hovered between them.

"I wish you told me yourself," Noctis said, scrubbing the plate with a soapy sponge.

"Yeah, well, it happened during the Tenebraean visit and you were busy then. Then your thing with Gladio happened right afterwards and it didn't seem like a good idea to bring it up. Anyway I'm out. See you tomorrow night, Noct." And before he could be subject to any more teasing, Prompto grabbed a bag of his things that was sitting by the door and was gone.

* * *

Noctis checked the clock on his phone several times in that one hour waiting for Gladiolus to arrive. Sometimes he checked it twice in the same minute. He wasn't just nervous. He was beyond nervous and he didn't know if there was a word for that.

Finally, the knock on his door came and Noctis answered it. Gladiolus had a key to the apartment, but it was only for use in case of emergencies. Any other time, he waited to be let in like a normal person.

"Hey," Gladiolus said.

"Hey," Noctis returned, stepping aside to let him in. "You uh, hungry or anything? We can probably come up with something if you haven't had dinner yet."

"Already ate," Gladiolus said, which meant they didn't have to worry about food. "So, you said you wanted to talk?"

They sat down at the dining room table, chosen specifically so that they could sit on each side and face each other. Gladiolus was the first to speak.

"Look, about Cyrus. Don't be mad at him."

"I'm not," Noctis said. "I never was." Even at his angriest, he wasn't truly angry at Cyrus, the guy who did nothing except look disturbingly like him. "It's you I was mad at."

Gladiolus looked straight at him from across the table. "You're not mad anymore?"

Noctis thought about it. "Only a little."

"Fair. More than fair, actually," Gladiolus chuckled. "Alright, let's get down to brass tacks. Where do we stand with each other, Noct?"

Neither of them knew the answer to that. It was why they were there in the first place.

"What do you want it to be?" Noctis asked cautiously.

"We should be-"

"I wasn't asking what everyone thinks we should be," Noctis interrupted, a slight bite to his voice. He glared across the table. "I was asking what you want."

"What I want is to not hurt you," Gladiolus answered.

Noctis stood up and slammed both of his hands, open palmed on the table. The sound was near deafening and the entire table shook with the force. "That isn't an answer, Gladio! You want to not hurt me? Well, tough shit because you already did!"

"So much for not being mad," Gladiolus muttered. But at such close proximity in a oppressively quiet apartment, there was no way Noctis could not have heard it.

"Because you're not giving me a straight answer!" Noctis yelled in frustration. "Fine, if you're not going to talk, then I will." He paused to take in a deep breath. Then he took another one. He told himself to calm down. "I want to give this a try. To give us a try."

Silence reigned for a brief eternity. Noctis kept his eyes on Gladiolus, who seemed to have difficulty looking back at him.

"It's what you want too, isn't it?" he continued and he saw Gladiolus nod.

"You sure about this?" Gladiolus asked as Noctis pushed his chair back to walk around the table, stopping next to Gladiolus' chair. "I don't know if you've heard, but I'm a serial heartbreaker."

He was sure. Noctis was more sure of this than he was of the release date of the next Assassin's Creed game. "I am. Even if you turn out to be the shittiest boyfriend on the planet, I'd sooner do this than spend Bahamut-knows-how-long wondering about it. I can't stand the wussy "what if" shit."

There was another pause which was broken by a laugh from his Shield. "Alright. Let's try this. But I want a guarantee that if this doesn't work out, Iggy and Prompto aren't going to try to murder my ass."

Despite the previous tenseness, Noctis snorted. "I don't think you have to worry about that. They'd be too into each other to notice."

Gladiolus grinned. "Too busy sucking each other's faces."

"Too busy with each other's asses to come after yours!"

The apartment burst into loud uncontrolled laughter and Noctis had to put one hand on the table and the other on his chest as he took in some much needed air. Once the two of them had calmed down, he stood up straight once again. "So, we're doing this?" he asked.

"We're doing this," Gladiolus confirmed, and that was the only answer he needed as Noctis surged forward to capture him in a kiss, clumsy, needy, and full of pent up emotions that had been left to simmer for months. When Gladiolus put a hand on his back, pulling him closer and into his lap, Noctis responded by wrapping his arms around his neck, one of his hands tangling into Gladiolus' hair. They both pulled back and Noctis felt a little dizzy.

That was Noctis' first kiss, ever. And he didn't really know what he had expected. Movies had taught him that kissing was supposed to be really amazing, and while he did like it, it was kind of...weird. Unusual. Sure, he liked it, but it also left his heart pounding and his nerves on end. It was like he was overloaded with an abundance of energy. "That was intense," he said. He had to wonder, was this what kissing was really like or was it just because of Gladiolus? Or was it years of teenage hormones finally catching up with him after nearly a decade of non interest?

Gladiolus smiled at him. "You know, Iggy and Prompto told me to take things slow. Said we shouldn't even think about doing this for a while."

Noctis could imagine it now. Both of them nagging Gladiolus to treat him like some kind of fragile object. "Screw what they think. We'll figure it out as we go," he snorted, then moved in for another kiss, this one even more hungry than the first. He knew both of them meant well, but this was one instance where Noctis wanted to ignore their advice. What worked for them didn't work for him and Gladiolus. This was what he wanted. He's wanted it for months, and now that he had the chance to have it, he wasn't going to wait for another three months or whatever arbitrary period of time they thought was acceptable for it.

If it turns out they were right, he'd deal with it. He's never experienced heartbreak, but it couldn't be any worse than their combined gloating, right? Those two were big enough pains in the ass on their own. But combined? Gods, they'd probably be downright insufferable. For now, however, there was absolutely no way this could be the wrong decision in his eyes. Gladiolus didn't appear to have any protests, or if he did, they were defeated under the might of somewhat awkward, but highly passionate princely kisses.

"Alright," Noctis said once he had pulled away again. "What do we do next?"

"First, you can get off me," Gladiolus said, gently pushing Noctis off his lap. "This chair ain't exactly the comfiest thing to make out in. Second, do you really have no idea?"

"I've never done this before!" Noctis huffed. His love life had been literally nonexistent until about fifteen minutes ago and suddenly he was feeling very inexperienced. Gladiolus had his long line of girlfriends. Prompto dated a couple girls in high school and one guy early on in university. Even Ignis had a few romances under his belt, although Noctis didn't know anything about them other than the fact that they had been short, troubled, and ill-fated. (Hopefully this thing with Prompto was going to work out.) Everything Noctis knew about love and relationships came from movies and video games, and those weren't exactly the most helpful or accurate sources.

For a moment, he wondered if Gladiolus was regretting this already when the Shield spoke up. "Eh, don't worry about it. Nothing about the two of us is normal, so we'll just do our own thing. We'll just stumble around until things work or we give up."

"That's encouraging," Noctis responded, sarcastically. "Do our own thing, huh?"

"That's right," Gladiolus said. "I'm gonna take you to see so many romcoms and movies about moogles."

Noctis scrunched his nose at that. Ew, romantic comedies. His least favorite genre of movie, but he supposed he'd have to put up with it. Relationships were about compromise, right? At least, that's what he had heard on television. However, moogle movies? He squinted at Gladiolus, trying to imagine him sitting in a theater filled with children and teenagers watching animated movies about moogles on opening night. Then again, Gladiolus read romance novels and watched romantic comedies. He had unusual taste in entertainment for someone of the early twenties male demographic.

"Iris expects me to watch every moogle related movie that comes out," Gladiolus explained. "If I have to watch them, then you do too."

"I'm not Iris' brother."

"She comes with the territory," Gladiolus said, crossing his arms. "You want to date me? You gotta play nice with my little sister."

"Then you have to come with me when I go fishing," Noctis insisted, mimicking the action.

"Fine," came the answer, and that was a lot easier than Noctis thought it would be. Most of the time, he had to practically drag his friends to go fishing with him.

They decided to have a little "getting together" celebration to themselves, which consisted mostly of eating some Cup Noodles that Noctis had stored away in the pantry two months ago and had completely forgotten about. The rest of their time together was spent talking about how exactly they were going to go about this new relationship of theirs. What came from those talks amounted to roughly the following: just go with the flow and see where they end up.

"Guess I should head home," Gladiolus said as he took their empty cups to toss into the trash, depositing the used chopsticks into the sink and moving to the exit. "Rush hour should be ending by now."

Noctis bit his lips as he watched, debating with himself if he wanted to say anything other than a goodbye. "Hey, Gladio?"

Gladiolus paused and turned around, one hand on the doorknob.

"Can I see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Gladiolus replied, turning the doorknob. "I can be here same time tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Sounds good."

* * *

"How many times do I have to say it?" Gladiolus growled, annoyed when Noctis sat down on his abdomen. "I'm the King's Shield. Not the King's Pillow."

"You're taking up my entire couch! Again! Where else am I supposed to sit?" Noctis asked. "And you better not say the floor. Whoever heard of a prince sitting on the floor?"

"Funny," Gladiolus grunted. "You've done it plenty of times playing games with Prompto."

"That's different," Noctis said, but he did not elaborate on what made it different. "Anyway, I'm giving you a new position so you can't complain about this anymore. From now on, you can add "Prince's Boyfriend" to your list of titles. Your official duty: being my pillow."

"You can't just make up a title, Noct."

"Says who?"

"Pretty sure you have to be the king to do that."

"So you don't know for sure."

"Shut up, it's starting."

The television in front of them had finished the commercials it was playing as an announcer's voice started speaking: "And now, we begin the five hour Fisherman's Horizon marathon."

They made it through three episodes, but by the fourth, Noctis was losing focus. Normally, he was fine with binge watching, but there was something about Fisherman's Horizon that made it tough. It was probably because of the sheer number of characters and plots it tried to juggle. Feeling restless, he flopped over, using Gladiolus as his mattress.

"You gonna fall asleep again?" Gladiolus asked.

"No," Noctis lied. "Trying to get comfy here."

"I'm not getting trapped under you again," Gladiolus said and suddenly, Noctis felt a strong arm wrapping around his waist as the Amicitia beneath him scooted until he was sitting up in a lounging position, Noctis still nestled against his body. "That's better," he said, but his arm still remained around Noctis.

Noctis couldn't help but agree. This _was_ better. Comfier. Cozier. He could just bury himself into the bigger man and stay there forever. And with how cold both the weather and his relationship with Gladiolus had been lately, he can't help but do so, turning around and pressing himself close while on the verge of, but not quite, falling asleep. Gladiolus' bare chest is warm on his face and despite his usual need to be entertained at all times, Noctis felt content.

He was vaguely aware of the sound of the apartment door opening and hearing Prompto's voice, but he isn't able to do much more than quietly mutter a greeting back in reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue is next! It'll probably be shorter than the normal chapters and thus go up sooner. I hope.


	18. Sunglasses and Surprises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have reached the end! Thank you, it's been fun. If you want to ask questions or just shoot the breeze, you can find me at my [tumblr](http://shiningkestral.tumblr.com)! There's a lot to talk about when it comes to this fanfic, concerning world building, character conflicts, and the original characters, but there simply isn't space to do that here. If you're interested in hearing about them, drop me a line at tumblr.
> 
> Now, for the question I've been asked a few times: I am interested in doing a sequel to this, but it won't be for a while. I already have my next fanfic concept ready to go, so an _Insomnia Shuffle_ sequel will have to wait until after that unless I feel brave enough to tackle two fics. _Astralbound_ is a canon divergence fic and my next project. More Promnis, more Gladnoct, (because lbr i can't get away from these ships) more action and more fantasy and idk maybe some other stuff too.

"Your Majesty," Ignis said as he approached the Lucian throne with a bow. "You wished to see me?" It was six in the morning, just one hour ago, Ignis had received a message that the king wanted to see him as soon as possible.

The king, seated upon his throne, gave a casual wave of his arm. Standing beside him was Clarus Amicitia, who gave a slight grunt and quick look of minor disapproval at the action before returning to a neutral state of alertness, arms crossed. "No need to be so formal, Ignis. Now, do you have any idea why I've called you in here today?"

Ignis shook his head slightly and he could feel himself go ever so slightly pale. "No, Your Majesty," he replied, but his mind was racing through possible answers at warp speed, all of them bad. Was there a problem? One so dire that it required to king to personally brief him on it? Was this about the Duscae Farmers Relief Effort? It was probably about the Duscae Farmers Relief Effort and what a mess that had turned out to be.

He heard Regis laugh. "Please, relax, Ignis. Fretting so much is bad for your health. Nothing is wrong and you're not in any kind of trouble." Ignis focused his eyes on Regis' face, finding it to be soft and full of warmth. "This is, however, about Noctis."

" _He_ isn't in trouble, is he?" Ignis asked, voice quiet and resigned.

"No, quite the opposite," Regis said. "I know I am not the most...present father in his life, but it hasn't escaped my notice that he's made huge leaps of progress in these past few months. He's become more engaged in both his royal duties and in the world around him.

For the first time since his summons, Ignis smiled. "He will make a splendid king one day."

"Of that, I have no doubt," Regis agreed. "However, he still has quite a way to go before he is truly ready. Noctis has spent his entire life in Insomnia. He is intimately familiar with the city and its citizens. However, rarely has he traveled beyond the Crown City's limits and he's only been to Tenebrae briefly once in his youth. Lucis is not only Insomnia and the countryside and the people living in it are distinctly different from what we are used to. If Noctis is to truly be a king for Lucis, all of Lucis, then he must know what life is like for all Lucians."

Something about Regis' words made Ignis' body prickle with anticipation. Excitement coursed through his veins and he had to force himself to stand still and maintain proper posture, something that was usually second nature for him. "Are you proposing we take His Highness out of Insomnia? Where to? Lestallum? I can arrange for a short stay anywhere in the kingdom-"

The king held up a hand and Ignis stopped speaking immediately. "You are thinking far too small, Ignis. Lucis is the largest nation on the planet full of diverse people. It will be impossible for Noctis to learn if we just take him to one city for a week."

"Then what do you suggest, Your Majesty?"

Regis turned to Clarus and nodded. Wordlessly, the actual king's Shield uncrossed his arms and held out his arm, a small object pinched between his thumb and index finger, but it was far too small for Ignis to make out what it was. He gave it a shake, a metallic jingling sound echoing throughout the throne room, before tossing it to Ignis, who caught it in one hand with ease. Now that he was able to examine it up close, his eyes widened in shock.

"This is-"

"I believe four months is an ample amount of time, don't you?" Regis smiled at him. "The only thing I ask is you keep a low profile. I don't want this turning into some sort of news spectacle."

"Not to be so bold, Your Majesty, but surely the press is going to notice if the Crown Prince goes missing for months," Ignis pointed out.

"Don't worry about it. That will be our problem to deal with, not yours." Regis said. "I believe there is a young man who can help us with that. Noctis told me about him at our dinner last week. I believe you're familiar with him."

"I...imagine the scandal that will occur if that gets uncovered," Ignis pointed out, scarcely able to believe what he was hearing.

"I told him it's a stupid idea," Clarus grunted. In response, Regis gave him a friendly and gentle poke with his cane.

"I leave the details to you. Take Gladiolus with you," Regis said. "Oh, and Crownsguard Argentum as well, of course," he added, giving Ignis a knowing smile. "This will be good for Noctis as well as being good for you. Don't think we haven't noticed the way you glance out the windows at times. I'd like for you to leave today. See you in four months, Ignis."

* * *

"Good morning, Ignis."

"Good morning, Sera."

Before he could leave, Ignis needed to get things at his Citadel job sorted out. Unlike most things about this work, this was going to be easy, the time it took to walk from the elevators to his office was more than enough time to figure out what he was going to do.

"I've already heard that you will be leaving us for a while," Serafina said, looking up from her desk. "A department wide email was sent just now."

"Ah, that saves me the trouble of having to explain it myself," Ignis smiled.

The door to his office nearly burst open and a tall woman with brown hair strolled right in. A few of the other workers under Ignis' direction shuffled in after her.

"So, I heard you're going on a trip for a while," Felicia said with an insincere smile on her face. "Don't you worry, boss, I'll take care of things while you're gone."

"Actually," Ignis said as he started rooting through the drawers on his desk, looking for something. "No, you won't. Because you will not be heading things in my absence."

Felica frowned, her fake smile, turning instantly to a frown. "What? I'm the most senior person here! It's obviously going to be me."

"Yes, well, about that," Ignis said as he pulled a glasses case out of the drawer. "Internal affairs finally finished their investigation into the Duscae Farmers Relief Effort. As well as several other projects that you've helmed. It's quite funny how all of them went far over budget yet no one knows where some of that money went. I imagine someone will be coming to speak to you soon."

Felicia's face blanched. "I..."

"Oh, you definitely were subtle about it. I would be impressed, were your actions not incredibly criminal. Stealing from the royal treasury is quite the serious offense," Ignis continued, opening the case and pulling out a pair of sunglasses. He had gotten them over a year ago and left them in the drawer to be forgotten until now. They were fashionable as well as being prescription, but he had never had a reason to wear them.

Now that she was caught with nowhere to run, Felicia turned outright hostile. "Maybe if I hadn't been robbed first, this wouldn't have happened! I deserved to be the department head, not you! You don't even _like_ doing this shit!"

"Neither do you, since you're only in it for the sake of your ego. But you're right. I don't like it," Ignis replied, using a cleaning cloth to wipe the dust off the sunglasses. "I've decided to relinquish this position so that I may dedicate more time to His Highness."

"Relinquish it to who!?" Felicia demanded. "Nobody here is qualified to take over. Nobody except me!"

"Oh, there is someone," Ignis responded, turning to Serafina. "I believe it's high time you got a promotion, Sera. You've been performing half my job already for months." A fact that he was truly grateful for, because her doing so freed up immense amounts of time for him to attend to his other duties or take time for himself.

"You can't be serious!" Felicia howled. "You can't appoint her! She's just a secretary! This is...this is... _unethical_!"

"That's hilarious, coming from you."

"This is a sham!" she screeched. "This monarchy is a sham! I'm leaving, I hope this entire Citadel collapses without me!"

Ignis was undisturbed by her tantrum as he took off his glasses to put on the sunglasses, pleased that they were still as perfect for him as they were the day he got them. She could yell and scream and even try to leave if she wanted to, but she would be wanted woman and he knew for a fact that she wasn't clever enough to evade capture for more than maybe a couple hours. "Yes, well, in that case," he put his glasses into the case, snapping it shut. "Bye, Felicia."

"Bye, Felicia," Serafina said, turning to her computer.

"Bye, Felicia," the other workers chimed in as the furious woman stormed out the door.

* * *

Ignis replayed the scene in the throne room on a loop in his head as he packed a suitcase with the essentials for a trip. Several sets of clothing were neatly folded and compacted, making room for other necessities. A few luxury items took up some of the remaining space with the rest leftover in the event that they would need extra storage space for something or other.

He had called Gladiolus and Prompto and told them about what had occurred in the throne room and similarly, they were probably packing as well. He had tried contacting Noctis as well, but at 8:00 AM, there was absolutely no way the prince was going to be awake and although he tried his best, Prompto failed to rouse him as Noctis had stayed up to an ungodly hour playing a new video game.

With one last once over to his suitcase and around his apartment, Ignis was certain that he had packed everything he needed. He felt a pang of trepidation as he looked around his apartment. He's lived in it for a couple years now, but in the past few months, it had truly become a home to him and he was now a little reluctant to leave it. But he wasn't leaving it forever. It would be here when he returned, just like how he left it. He took the time to clear out his refrigerator of all perishable items and by 8:15, he turned off all the lights, put on his sunglasses, and grasped the handle of his suitcase in one hand to pull it out the door.

Noctis was, unsurprisingly, still asleep even after picking up Gladiolus and arriving at the apartment. Prompto opened the door to let them in with an apology that he couldn't get Noctis up no matter what he did. It wasn't an unexpected outcome and the three of them figured to get Noctis' things packed while the prince slumbered just a little bit longer. It turns out, however, that three people bustling around in a single bedroom did the trick as Noctis opened his eyes and sat up groggily.

"Huh...? Gladio? Specs? What's going on?"

"Get dressed," Ignis said as he picked out a set of clean clothes from Noctis' closet and placed them on the bed.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses?" Noctis asked as Gladiolus zipped up the suitcase and carried it out of the bedroom. Even as he spoke, he was putting on the clothes that Ignis had picked out for him.

"Your father has decided that we are going to go on a trip. Starting today."

"Where to?" Noctis asked, following Ignis out of the bedroom and outside of the apartment. He stopped and pointed at the dark colored car parked in the parking lot. "Is that my dad's car?"

"It is, indeed, the Regalia," Ignis answered. "His Majesty was so kind as to lend her to us."

"Where are we going?" Noctis continued as they made their way to the car.

"Across the entire kingdom," Ignis said. Gladiolus loaded the suitcase into the trunk and slammed the Regalia's trunk closed before settling into the back seat. Up in the front, Prompto was already inside, ready to go. "We are to be gone for four months. Please keep this quiet, by the way. His Majesty has asked for us to remain as anonymous as possible. Noct, I know this is overwhelming, but these are more or less orders from your father."

"This is insane," Noctis moaned as Ignis got into the driver's seat.

"It is," Ignis agreed. "But complaining about it won't change the situation. We have been told to go on a several month vacation, therefore, we are going on a several month vacation."

"Also, you could have told me this sooner."

"I sent you a message hours ago."

"I was asleep," Noctis huffed. "I didn't see your message at all."

"Perhaps you could try waking up earlier."

"Or you could at least wait for a reasonable hour to drop a surprise roadtrip on me."

"Noctis," Ignis said, giving him a glare that told him he was one thousand percent done with this conversation. "Get. In. The. _Fucking._ Car."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was the entire relief effort subplot just to set up a "bye felicia" joke? No, (it was primarily for Ignis and the Promnis) but it was like, at least 30% motivated by it
> 
> now that we're done, here's a few fun facts about this fic!
> 
> 1\. the word shuffle is used in some capacity at least once every chapter
> 
> 2\. an important rule i had established when i began this fic was that each chocobro got one "fuck" and i had to choose when to drop them carefully.
> 
> 3\. the ending scene was actually the first scene i came up with for this fanfic, the rest was developed to reach that conclusion


End file.
